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OUTLINE STUDIES 

IN 

THE OLD TESTAMENT 

FOR 

BIBLE TEACHERS 



By 

JESSE L{ HURLBUT, D.D. 




New York: EATON & MAINS 
Cincinnati : JENNINGS & GRAHAM 



OCT. ttt 1905 
oopy ii» 



Copyright, 1905, by 
EATON & MAINS 



^& 



,v^ 






PREFATORY 



This book has been prepared at the request of the New 
York State Sunday School Association, through its Nor- 
mal Committee. The desire was expressed for a teacher- 
training course to include two years in the Bible : one year 
upon subjects contained in the Old Testament, taking the 
historical point of view, and presenting with the history 
the lands and the Israelite people, their institutions of 
worship; and a second year upon the New Testament, 
following the same plan. 

Those who have studied "Revised Normal Lessons" 
and " Studies in Old Testament History " will find most of 
these "Outline Studies" familiar; for it has not been my 
purpose, as it was not the desire of the committee, to fur- 
nish a series of new lessons, but to have the subjects of 
Old Testament study brought together in one volume. 
Each subject, however, has been studied anew, and the 
results of recent knowledge, especially in the chronology, 
have been incorporated in this revision. At the request 
of the committee new lessons on "The Old Testament 
as Literature " and "How We Got Our Bible " have been 
added. 

It is my earnest desire that through these studies the 
Bible may be better imderstood and more thoroughly 
taught by the Sunday school teachers of our land. 

Jesse L. Hurlbut. 
South Orange, New Jersey, 
September, 1905. 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

Prefatory 3 

I. The Old Testament World 7 

II. Old Testament History 12 

III. The Beginnings of Bible History 21 

IV. The Wandering in the Wilderness 26 

V. Institutions of Israelite Worship 33 

VI. The Land of Palestine 41 

VII. The Conquest of Canaan 46 

VIII. The Age of the Heroes 51 

IX. The Rise of the Israelite Empire 57 

X. The Reign of Solomon 63 

XI. The Temple on Mount Moriah 69 

XII. The Kingdom of Israel 75 

XIII. The Kingdom OF JuDAH 81 

XIV. The Captivity of Judah 84 

XV. The Jewish Province 92 

XVI. The Old Testament as Literature 99 

XVII. How We Got Our Bible 104 



Outline Studies in the 
Old Testam^ent 



FERST STUDY 
The Old Testament World 

The Bible is primarily a book of history, and without some knowl- 
edge of its historical contents no one can rightly understand its 
revelation of divine truth. But in order to know the history con- 
tained in the Old Testament we must obtain a view of the lands in 
which that history was wrought. We therefore study first of all 
the Old Testament World. 

I. Location and Extent. The history of the Old Testament was 
enacted upon a field less than half the area of the United States. It 
extended from the river Nile to the lands east of the Per'sian Gulf 
and from the northern part of the Red Sea to the southern part of 
the Cas'pi-an. The world of Old Testament history was thus 1,400 
miles long from east to west and 900 miles wide from north to south, 
and it aggregated 1,110,000 square miles, exclusive of large bodies 
of water. 

II. Let us begin the construction of the map by drawing upon its 
borders Six Seas, four of which are named in the Old Testament. 

1. The Cas'pi-an Sea, of which only the southern portion appears 
in the northeastern corner of our map. 

2. The Per'sian Gtilf, south of the Cas'pi-an, on the southeast. 

3. The Red Sea, on the southwest (Exod. 15. 4; Num. 33. 10; 
I Kings 9. 26). 

4. The Med-i-ter-ra'ne-an Sea, on the central west. Note its names 
in Josh. I. 4 and Deut. 34. 2. 

5. The Dead Sea, north of the eastern arm of the Red Sea (Gen. 
14. 3; Deut. 4. 49; Joel 2. 20; Ezek. 47. 18). 



8 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

6. Lake ChinVie-reth (ch pronounced as k), the name in the Old 
Testament for the Sea of Gal'i-lee (Num. 34. 11 ; Josh. 13. 27). 

III. Next we indicate the Mottntain Ranges, most of which, though 
important as boundaries, are not named in the Bible. 

1. We find the nucleus of the mountain system in Mount Ar'a-rat, 
a range in the central north (Gen. 8. 4). From this great range three 
great rivers rise and four mountain chains branch forth. 

2. The Cas'pi-an Range extends from Ar'a-rat eastward around the 
southern shore of the Cas'pi-an Sea. 




3. The Za'gros Range extends from Ar'a-rat southeasterly to the 
Per'sian Gulf, which it follows on the eastern border, 

4. The Leb'a-non Range extends from Ar'a-rat in a southwesterly 
direction toward the Red Sea. Mount Her'mon, the mountain 
region of Pares-tine, Mount Se'ir, on the south of the Dead Sea, and 
even Mount Si'nai, all belong to this chain (Deut. 3. 25 ; Josh. 13. 5 ; 
I Kings 5. 6). 

5. The Tati'rws Range, from Ar'a-rat westward, following the 
northern shore of the Med-i-ter-ra'ne-an. 

IV. The Rivers, for the most part, follow the lines of the mountain 
ranges. 

I. The A-rax'es, from Ar'a-rat eastward into the Cas'pi-an Sea, 
may be taken as the northern boundary of the Old Testament world. 



The Old Testament World 9 

2. The Ti'gris, called in the Bible Hid'de-kel, flows from Ar'a-rat, 
on the southwestern slope of the Za'gros mountains, in a southeast- 
erly direction into the,Per'sian Gulf (Gen. 2. 14; Dan. 10. 4), 

3. The Eti-phra'tes, the great river of the Bible world, rises on the 
northern slope of Ar'a-rat, flows westward to the Tau'rus, then 
southward, following Leb'a-non, then southeasterly through the 
great plain, and finally unites with the Ti'gris (Gen. 2. 14; 15. 18; 
Josh. I. 4; 24. 2). 

4. The Jor'dan flows between two parallel chains of the Leb'a-non 
range southward into the Dead Sea (Gen. 13. 10; Num. 22. i; 
Judg. 8. 4). 

5. The Nile, in Af 'ri-ca, flows northward into the Med-i-ter-ra'ne-an 
Sea (Gen. 41. i ; Exod. 2. 2). 

V. The Old Testament world has three Nattiral Divisions, some- 
what analogous to those of the United States. 

1. The Eastern Slope, from the Za'gros mountains eastward to the 
great desert, 

2. The Central Plain, between the Za'gros and Leb'a-non moun- 
tains, the larger portion a desert. 

3. The Western Slope, between Leb'a-non and the Med-i-ter-ra'ne-an 
Sea. 

VI. We arrange the Lands according to the natural divisions, 
giving locations, and not boundaries, as these changed in every age. 

1. On the eastern slope lie: 

I.) Ar-mem-a (Rev. Ver., "Ar'a-rat"), between Mount Ar'a-rat 

and the Cas'pi-an Sea (2 Kings 19. 37). 
2.) Me'di-a, south of the Cas'pi-an Sea (2 Kings 17. 6; Isa. 21. 2). 
3-) Per'sia, south of Me'di-a and north of the Per'sian Gulf 

(Ezra I. I ; Dan. 5. 28). 

2. In the central plain we find: 

{a) Between Mount Za'gros and the river Ti'gris: 
4-) As-syr'i-a, on the north (2 Kings 15. 19; 17. 3). 
5-) Elam, on the south (Gen. 10. 22; 14. i). 

{b) Between the rivers Ti'gris and Eu-phra'tes: 
6.) Mes-o-po-ta'mi-a, on the north (Gen. 24. 10; Deut. 23. 4). 
7.) Chal-de'a, on the south (Jer. 51. 24; Ezra 5. 12). 

{c) Between the river Eu-phra'tes and the Leb'a-non range l 
8.) The great desert of A-ra'bi-a (2 Chrou.. 17. n;. 26. 7). 

3. On the western slope we find : 



10 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

9-) Syr'i-a, extending from the Eu-phra'tes to Pal'es-tine (2 Sam. 

8. 6; I Kings 22. i). 
10.) Phoe-nx'cia, a narrow strip between Mount Leb'a-non and 

the sea, north of PaFes-tine. 
II.) Parcs-tinc, " the Holy Land," south of Syr'i-a and north of 

the Si-na-it'ic wilderness. Note its ancient name in Gen. 12. 5. 
12.) The "Wilderness, a desert south of Pal'es-tine, between the 

two arms of the Red Sea (Exod. 13. 18; Deut. i. 19). 
13.) E'gypt, on the northeast corner of Af'ri-ca (Gen. 12. 10; 

37. 28). 
VII. In these lands out of many Places we name and locate only 
the most important. 

1. E'den, the original home of the human race, probably at the 
junction of the Ti'gris and Eu-phra'tes (Gen. 2. 8). 

2. Shtt'shan, or Su'sa, the capital of the Per'sian empire, in the 
province of Elam (Esth. i. 2). 

3. BabV-Ion, the capital of Chal-de'a, on the Eu-phra'tes (Gen. 

10. 10; 2 Kings 25. i). 

4. Nin'e-veh, the capital of As-syr'i-a, on the Ti'gris (Gen. 10. 11 ; 
Jonah 3. 3). 

5. Ha'ran, a home of A'bra-ham, in Mes-o-po-ta'mi-a (Gen. 

11. 31.) 

6. Da-mas'cas, the capital of Syr'i-a, in the southern part of that 
province (Gen. 15. 2). 

7. Tyre, the commercial metropolis of Phoe-ni'cia (Ezek. 27. 3). 

8. Je-rti'sa-Iem, the capital of Pares-tine (Judg. i. 8). 

9. Hem'phis, the early capital of E'gypt, on the Nile (Hos. 9. 6). 
Other names of places might be given indefinitely, but it is desira- 
ble not to require the student to burden his memory with lists of 
names, and therefore the most important only are given. 

Hints to the Teacher 

Have a good blackboard for the map drawing, and see that each scholar is sup- 
plied with a tablet or pad of paper. 

1. Let the teacher first draw on the board in presence of the class the boundaries 
of the Seas, and require the class to draw them also on tablet or pad, holding the 
pad so that its longest side will be from right to left. Inspect each pupil's design, 
and see that it is fairly correct, but do not seek for finished drawing. A rough 
sketch is all that should be desired. 

2. Next draw the lines representing Mountain Ranges, and require the class to 
do the s?ime. ileview the names of the Seas, and also of the Mountain Ranges. 



The Old Testament World 11 

3. Place on the board the lines representing the Rivers, and let the pupils do the 
same, and review Seas, Mountains, and Rivers. 

4. Show the three Natural Divisions; indicate on the map the Lands in the order 
given, and let the pupils 'do the same. See that the pupils know the name and 
location of each Land, and review Seas, Mountains, Rivers, and Lands. 

5. Indicate on the blackboard the Places named in the lesson, and have the pupils 
also locate and name them. Review Seas, Mountains, Rivers, Lands, and Places. 

6. Let the pupils redraw the map at home from copy, and at the next session of 
the class call upon five pupils to go in turn to the board — the first to draw the Seas, 
and then receive criticism from the class, the second the Mountains, the third the 
Rivers, the fourth the Lands, and the fifth the Places. 

7. If another review could be given it would be an excellent plan to call for the 
reading of the Bible references in the lesson, and require a student to name and 
locate on the blackboard the Sea or Mountain or River or Land or Place named 
in the reference. It will abundantly reward the teacher to occupy three or four 
sessions of the class on this map and its reviews. 

8. Let the pupils read ail the facts of the lesson from the hints given in the fol- 
lowing Blackboard Outline and answer all the Review Questions. 

Blackboard Otrtlinc 



»Ih 


ll< 


I. 


Loc. Ex. N.— P. G. R. S.— Cas. 1,400. 900. 1,110,000. 


II. 


Se. Cas. Per. G. R. S. Med. S. D. S. L. Ch. 


III. 


Mtn. Ran. Ar. Cas. Zag. Leb. Tau. 


IV. 


Riv. Ar. Tig. Eup, Jor. Ni. 


V. 


Nat. Div. Ea. SI. Cen. PI. Wes. SI. 


VI. 


La. I. Ar. Me. Per. 2. Ass. El. Mes. Chal. Ar. 




3. Syr. Phoe. Pal. Wil. Eg. 


VII. 


Pla. Ed. Sh. Bab. Nin. Har. Dam. Ty. Jer. Mem. 


iA 


^ 4 



Review Questions 

How large was the Old Testament world? Between what bodies of water was it 
located? What were its dimensions? Name its six important bodies of water. 
Locate each of these bodies of water. Name and describe its mountain ranges. 
Name and locate its five important rivers. State and describe its three natural 
divisions. Name and locate the lands of the eastern slope. Name and locate the 
lands of the central plain. Name and locate the lands of the western slope. Name 
its nine important places. Locate each of the nine places. 



SECOND STUDY 
Old Testament History 

The divine revelation which the Bible contains is given in the 
form of a history. God revealed his plan of saving men not in a 
system of doctrine, but in the record of his dealings with the world 
at large, and especially with one people. To understand this reve- 
lation it is necessary for us to view the great stream of history con- 
tained in the Bible. Our study on this subject will include the 
principal events from the creation of man, at a date unknown, to 
the birth of Christ.^ 

Part One 

We begin by dividing the entire field of time to the opening of the 
New Testament into five periods. Each of these we write at the 
head of a column. (See the Blackboard Outline.) 
I. The Period of the Human Race. 
II. The Period of the Chosen Family. 

III. The Period of the Is'ra-el-ite People. 

IV. The Period of the Is'ra-el-ite Kingdom. 
V. The Period of the Jew'ish Province. 

I. We find in the opening of the Bible that the Human Race is 
the subject of the history. This theme extends through the first 
eleven chapters of Genesis, which narrate the history of much 
more than half of the time included in the Bible. During this long 

' The chronology of the Bible is not a matter of the divine revelation, and scholars 
are not agreed with respect to the dates of early Scripture history. The system of 
chronology commonly found in reference Bibles is that of Archbishop Usher, who 
lived 1580-1656, long before the modern period of investigation in Bible lands. 
According to this chronology A'dam was created B. C. 4004, the flood took place 
B. C. 2348, and the call of A'bra-ham was B. C. 1928. But it is now an attested and 
recognized fact that kingdoms were established in the Eu-phra'tes valley and beside 
the Nile more than 4000 years before Christ. All of Usher's dates earlier than the 
captivity of the Jews in Bab'y-lon are now discarded by scholars. We give in these 
lessons no dates earlier than the call of A'bra-ham, which is doubtfully placed at 
B. C. 2280, and regard none as certain before B. C. 1000. 



Old Testament History 13 

period no one tribe or nation or family is selected ; but the story of 
all mankind is related by the historian. 

1. This period begins with the Creation of Man (not the creation of 
the world), at some unknown time which scholars have not been 
able to fix ; and it ends with the Call of A'bra-ham, also at a date 
uncertain, though given with some doubt at about B. C. 22S0. With 
this event Bible history properly begins. 

2. Through this period it would appear that God dealt with each 
person directly, without mediation or organized institutions. We 
read of neither priest nor ruler, but we find God speaking individu- 
ally with men. (See Gen. 3. 9 ; 4. 6 ; 5. 22 ; 6. 13 ; and let the class find 
other instances.) We call this, therefore, the period of Direct 
Administration. 

3. All the events of this period may be connected with three epochs : 
I.) The Fall (Gen. 3. 6), which brought sin into the world (Rom. 

5. 12), and resulted in universal wickedness (Gen. 6. 5). 

2.) The Delage (Gen. 7. 11, 12). By this destruction the entire 
population of the world, probably confined to the Eu-phra'tes 
valley, was swept away (Gen. 7. 23), and opportunity was given 
for a new race under better conditions (Gen. 9. 18, 19). 

3.) The Dispersion (Gen. 10. 25). Hitherto the race had massed 
itself in one region, and hence the righteous families were 
overwhelmed by their evil surroundings. But after the deluge 
an instinct of migration took possession of families, and soon 
the whole earth was overspread. 

4. In this period we call attention to three of its most important 
Persons: 

I.) Ad'am, the first man (Gen. 5. i, 2). His creation, fall, and 

history are briefly narrated. 
2.) E'nochy who walked with God (Gen. 5. 24), and was translated 

without dying. 
3.) No'ah, the builder of the ark (Gen. 6. 9), and the father of a 

new race. 

Hints to the Teacher 

Let the teacher place the outline of the period on the blackboard, point by point, 
as the lesson proceeds, and let the class do the same on paper or in notebooks. 
Let every Scripture text be read in the class by a student, and let its bearing be 
shown. Call upon members of the class to give more complete account of the 
events and the persons named, and for this purpose let the first eleven chapters of 
Genesis be assigned in advance as a reading lesson. 



14 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

Blackboard Outline 



I. Per.Hu.Ra. 



C. M. 
C. A. 



Dir. Adm. 



Fa. 
Del. 
Dis. 



* 



A. E. N. 



II.Per.Ch.Fam, 



Ill.Per.Is.Peo. IV.Per.Is.Kin. V.PerJe.Prov 



Review Questions 

What is the central theme of the Bible? How is this theme presented in the 
Bible? Why should we study the history in the Bible? What are the five periods 
of Old Testament history? What is the subject of the history during the first 
period? With what events does the first period begin and end? What is said con- 
cerning the dates of early events? What kind of divine government in relation to 
men is shown in the first period? Into what epochs is the first period subdivided? 
What results followed the first man's falling into sin? Where was the population 
of the world confined up to the time of the flood? How did the flood become a 
benefit to the world? What new instinct came to the human family after the flood? 
Name three important persons in the first period? State a fact for which each of 
these three men is celebrated. 

Part Two 

II. A new chapter in Bible history opens at Gen. 12. i. Here we 
find one family of the race is selected and made the subject of the 
divine revelation. This was not because God loved one family more 
than others, but because the world's salvation was to be wrought 
through that family (Gen. 12. 2, 3). Hence we call this the Period 
of the Chosen Family, 

1. This period extends from the Call of A'bra-ham (Gen. 12. i), B. C. 
2280?, to the Exodus from E'gypt, B. C. 1270?. 

2. In this period we notice the recognition of the family. God deals 
with each family or clan through its head, who is at once the priest 
and the ruler (Gen. 17. 7; 18. 19; 35. 2). We call this period, there- 
fore, that of the Patriarchal Administration. 

3. We subdivide this period into three epochs: 

I.) The Journeyings of the Patriarchs (Gen. 12. 5; 13. 17, 18; 20. 



Old Testament HiSTOfev 



15 



I, etc.). As yet the chosen family had no dwelling place, but 
lived in tents, moving throughout the land of promise. 

2.) The Sojoarn in E'gypt* In the lifetime of the patriarch Ja'cob, 
but at a date unknown, the Is'ra-el-ite family went down to 
E'gypt, not for a permanent home, but a "sojourn," which 
lasted, however, many centuries (Gen. 46. 5-7 ; 50. 24). 

3.) The Oppression of the Is'ra-el-ites. Toward the close of the 
sojourn the Is'ra-el-ite family, now grown into a multitude 
(Exod. I. 7), endured cruel bondage from the E-gyp'tians (Exod. 
1.13, 14). This was overruled to promote God' s design, and led 
to their departure from E'gypt, which is known as " the exo- 
dus," or going out. 
4. From the names of men in this period we select the following: 

I.) A'bra-hamt the friend of God (James 2. 23). 

2.) Ja'cob, the prince of God (Gen. 32. 28). 

3.) Jo'seph, the preserver of his people (Gen. 45. 5). 





Blackboard Otrtline 




I. Per.Hu.Ra. 


II. Per.Ch.Fam. 


III. Per.Is.Peo. 


IV. Per.Is.Kin. 


V.Per.Je.Prov. 


C. M. 
C. A. . 


C. A. 

E. E. 






*i* 


Dir. Adm. 


Patr. Adm. 


Fa. 
Del. 
Dis. 


Jou. Pat. 
Soj. Eg. . 
Opp. Isr. 


A. E. N. 


A. J. J. 



Review Qoestions 

What is the name of the second period? Why is it so named ? With what events 
does the second period begin and end ? What kind of divine administration do we 
notice in the second period? Into what three epochs is the second period divided? 
What were the beneficial results of the bondage in E'gypt upon the Is'ra-el-ites? 
Name three persons of the second period? For what fact or trait is each of these 
three persons distinguished? 

Part Three 
III. When the Is'ra-el-ites went out of E'gypt a nation was bom, 
and the family became a state, with all the institutions of govern- 



16 



Outline Studies in the Old Testament 



ment. Therefore we call this the Period of the Is'ra-el-itc 
People. 

1. It opens with the Exodas from E'gypt, B. C. 1270? (Exod. 12. 
40-42), and closes with the Coronation of Saal» B. C. 1050 ?. 

2. During this period the government of the Is'ra-el-ites was 
peculiar. The Lord was their only King (Judg. 8. 23), but there was 
a priestly order for religious service (Exod. 28. i), and from time to 
time men were raised up by a divine appointment to rule, who were 
called judges (Judg. 2. 16). This constituted the Theocratic Admin- 
istration, or a government by God. 

3. We subdivide this period as follows : 

I.) The "Wandering in the "Wilderness. This was a part of God's 
plan, and trained the Is'ra-el-ites for the conquest of their land 
(Exod. 13. 17, 18). It lasted for forty years (Deut. 8. 2). 

2.) The Conquest of Ca'naan, which immediately followed the 
crossing of the Jordan (Josh. 3. 14-17). The war was vigor- 
ously carried on for a few years, but the land was only seem- 
ingly conquered, for the native races remained upon the soil, 
and in some places were dominant until the time of Da'vid. 

3.) The Rtile of the Jtidges. From the death of Josh'u-a, B. C, 
1200?, the people were directed by fifteen judges, not always 
in direct succession. 

4. This period has been justly called "the Age of the Heroes"; 
and from many great men we choose the following: 

I.) Mouses, the founder of the nation (Deut. 34. 10-12). 
2.) Josh'«-at the conqueror of Ca'naan (Josh. 11. 23), 
3.) Gid'e-on, the greatest of the judges (Judg. 8. 28). 
4.) Sam'u-el, the last of the judges (i Sam. 12. i, 2). 

Blackboard Outline 



I. Per.Hu.Ra. 


II. Per.Ch.Fam. 


III. Per. Is. Peo. 


IV. Per.Is.Kin. 


V.Per.Je.Prov 


C. M. 
C. A. 


C. A. 
E. E. 


E. E. 
C. S. 






Dir. Adm. 


Patr. Adm. 


The. Adm. 




Fa. 
Del. 
Dis. 


Tou. Pat. 
Soj. Eg. 
0pp. Isr. 


Wan. Wil. 
Con. Can. 
Ru. Jud. 




A. E. N. 


A. J. J. 


M. J. G. S. 





Old Testament History 17 

Review Qttestions 

What is the third period of Bible history called ? With what events did it begin 
and end? How was Is'ra,-el governed during this period? What are its subdi- 
visions? How many judges governed the Is'ra-el-ites after Josh'u-a? Name four 
important persons of the third period. State for what each of these persons was 
distinguished. 

Part Four 

IV. With the reign of the first king a new period opens. We now 
study the history of the Is'ra-el-ite Kingdom, The kingdom was 
divided after the reign of three kings, but even after the division it 
was regarded as one kingdom, though in two parts. 

1. This period extends from the Coronation of Saal, B. C. 1050? 
(I Sam. II. 15), to the Captivity of BabV-Ion, B. C. 587. 

2. During this period the chosen people were ruled by kings ; hence 
this is named the Regal Administration. The king of Is'ra-el was 
not a despot, however, for his power was limited, and he was 
regarded as the executive of a theocratic government (i Sam. 
10. 25). 

3. This period is divided into three epochs, as follows: 

I.) The A^e of Unity, under three kings, Saul, Da'vid, and Sol'o- 
mon, each reigning about forty years. In Da'vid's reign, 
about B. C. 1,000, the kingdom became an empire, ruling all 
the lands from E'gypt to the Eu-phra'tes. 

2.) The Age of Division. The division of the kingdom took place 
B. C. 934, when two rival principalities, Is'ra-el and Ju'dah, 
succeeded the united empire, and all the conquests of DaMd 
were lost (i Kings 12. 16, 17). The kingdom of Is'ra-el was 
governed by nineteen kings, and ended with the fall of Sa- 
ma'ria, B. C. 721, when the Ten Tribes were carried into 
captivity in As-syr'i-a (2 Kings 17. 6) and became extinct. 

3.) The Age of Decay. After the fall of Is'ra-el, Ju'dah remained 
as a kingdom for one hundred and thirty-four years, though in 
a declining condition. It was ruled by twenty kings, and was 
finally conquered by the Chal-de'ans. The Jews were carried 
captive to Bab''y-lon in B. C, 587 (2 Chron. 36. 16-20). 

4. The following may be regarded as the representative Persons of 
his period, one from each epoch: 

I.) DaVid, the great king (2 Sam. 23. i), and the true founder of 
the kingdom. 



18 



Outline Studies in the Old Testament 



2.) E-Ii'jah, the great prophet (i Kings i8. 36). 
3.) Hez-e-ki'ah, the good king (2 Kings 18. 1-6). 





Blackboard Oatline 




I. Per.Hu.Ra. 


II. Per.Ch.Fam. 


III. Per.Is.Peo. 


IV. Per.Is.Kin. 


V.Per.Je.Prov. 


C. M. 
C. A. 


C. A. 
E. E. 


E. E. 
C. S. 


C. S. 
C. B. 




Dir. Adm. 


Patr. Adm. 


The. Adm. 


Reg. Adm. 




Fa. 
Del. 
Dis. 


Jou. Pat. 
Soj. Eg. 
0pp. Isr. 


Wan. Wil. 
Con. Can. 
Ru. Jud. 


Ag. Un. 
Ag. Div. 
Ag. Dec. 




, . A. E. N. 


A. J. J. 


M. J. G. S. 


D. E. H. 





Review Questions 

What is the fourth period called? With what events did it begin and end? 
What were the dates of these two events? How were the people governed during 
this period? What were the three subdivisions of this period? Under whom did 
the kingdom become an empire? What was the extent of its empire? When did 
the division of the kingdom take place? What was the result of the division? 
How many were the kings of the Ten Tribes? With what event, and at what date, 
did the kingdom of Is'ra-el end? How long did Ju'dah last after the fall of Is'ra-el? 
How many kings reigned in Ju'dah? By what people was Ju'dah conquered? To 
what city were the Jews carried captive? Name three representative persons of 
the period of the kingdom. 

Part Five 
V. In the closing period of Old Testament history we find the tribe 
of Ju''dah alone remaining, and during most of the time under for- 
eign rule ; so we name this the Period of the Jew'ish Province. 

1. It extends from the beginning of the Captivity at Bab'y-Ion, 
B. C. 587, to the Birth of Christ, B. C. 4. ' 

2. During this period Ju-de'a was a subject land, except for a 
brief epoch. This may be called, therefore, the Foreign Adminis- 
tration, as the rule was through the great empires in succession. 

3. This period may be subdivided into five epochs. For the first 
and a part of the second we have the Old Testament as our source 
of history ; all the rest fall in the four centuries of silence between 
the Old and the New Testament, 



^When the birth of Christ was adopted as an era of chronology, about A. D. 400 
a mistake of four years was made by the historian who first fixed it. Hence the 
year in which Christ was born was in reality B. C. 4. 



Old Testament History 19 

1.) The Chal-de'an Stipremacy, Fifty years from the captivity, 
B. C. 587, to the conquest of Bab'y-lon by Cy'rus, B. C. 536, 
by which the ChaJ-de'an empire was ended, and the Jews were 
permitted to return to their land (Ezra i. 1-3). 

2.) The Per'sian Sopremacy. About two hundred years from the 
fall of Bab'y-lon, B. C. 536, to the battle of Ar-be'la, B. C. 
330, by which Al-ex-an'der the Great won the Per'sian em- 
pire. During this epoch the Jews were permitted to govern 
themselves under the general control of the Per'sian 
kings. 

3.) The Greek Supremacy. Al-ex-an'der's empire lasted only 
ten years, but was succeeded by Greek kingdoms, under 
whose rule the Jews lived in Pal'es-tine for about one hundred 
and sixty years. 

4.) The Mac-ca-be'an Independence. About B. C. 168 the tyranny 
of the Greek kmg of Syr'i-a drove the Jews to revolt. Two 
years later they won their liberty under Ju'das Mac-ca-be'us, 
and were ruled by a line of princes called As-mo-ne'ans, or 
Mac-ca-be'ans, for one hundred and twenty-six years. 

5-) The Ro'man Stjpremacy. This came gradually, but began 
officially in the year B. C. 40, when Her'od the Great received 
the title of king from the Ro'man senate. Thenceforth the 
Jewish province was reckoned a part of the Rodman 
empire. 
In each epoch of this period we select one important Person. 

I.) In the Chal-de'an supremacy, Dan'iel, the prophet and prince 
(Dan. 2. 48; 5. 12). 

2.) In the Per'sian supremacy, Ez'ra the scribe, the framer of 
the Scripture canon and the reformer of the Jews (Ezra 7. 
6, 10). 

3.) In the Greek supremacy, Si'mon the Just, a distinguished 
high priest and ruler. 

4.) In the Mac-ca-be'an independence, Ju'das Mac-ca-be'«s, the 
liberator of his people. 

5.) In the Ro'man supremacy, Her'od the Great, the ablest but 

most unscrupulous statesman of his age. This Ro'man 

supremacy lasted until A. D. 70, when Je-ru'sa-lem was de- 

_stroyed by Ti'tus, and the Jew'ish state was extinguished by 

the emperor of Rome. 



20 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

Blackboard Otttlinc 



>b 

■ I. Per.Hu.Ra. 


II. Per.Ch.Fam. 


III. Per.Is.Peo. 


IV. Per.Is.Kin. 




V.Per.Je.Prov. 


C. M. 
C. A. 


C. A. 
E. E. 


E. E. 
C. S. 


C. S. 
C. B. 


C. B. 
Bi. Ch. 


Dir. Adm. 


Patr. Adm. 


The. Adm. 


Reg. Adm. 


For. Adm. 


Fa. 
Del. 
Dis. 


Jou. Pat. 
Soj. Eg. 
Opp. Isr. 


Wan. Wil. 
Con. Can. 
Ru. Jud. 


Ag. Un. 
Ag. Div. 
Ag. Dec. 


Ch. Sup. 
Per. Sup. 
Gk. Sup. 
Mac. Ind. 
Rom. Sup. 


A. E. N. 

► i 


A. J. J. 


M. J. G. S. 


D. E. H. 


D. E. S. J. H. 



Review Questions 

What is the closing period of Old Testament history called? With what events 
and dates did it begin and end? How were the Jews governed during most of this 
time? Name its five epochs. Under whom did the Jews obtain independence? 
Name one person in each epoch of the fifth period, and for what he is distinguished. 



THIRD STUDY 
The Beginnings of Bible History 

Having taken a general view of Bible history from the creation 
to the coming of Christ, we now turn again to the record for a more 
careful study of each epoch. The aim will be not to give a mere 
catalogue of facts, but as far as possible to show the relation of 
cause and effect, and to unfold the development of the divine pur- 
pose which is manifested through all the history in the Bible. 

I. We begin with the Delttge as the starting point of history. 
Back of that event there may be studied biography, but not history ; 
for history deals less with individuals than with nations, and we 
know of no nations before the flood. With regard to the deluge we 
note: 

1. T\iQfact of a deluge is stated in Scripture (Gen. 7), and attested 
by the traditions of nearly all nations. 

2. Its cause was the wickedness of the human race (Gen. 6. 5-7). 
Before this ev^ent all the population of the world was massed 
together, forming one vast family and speaking one language. 
Under these conditions the good were overborne by evil surround- 
ings, and general corruption followed. 

3. Its extent was undoubtedly not the entire globe, but so much 
of it as was occupied by the human race (Gen. 7. 23), probably the 
Eu-phra'tes valley. Many Christian scholars, however, hold to the 
view that the book of Genesis relates the history of but one family 
of races, and not all the race ; consequently that the flood may have 
been partial, as far as mankind is .concerned. 

4. Its pttrpose vfo-s,: i.) To destroy the evil in the world. 2.) To 
open a new epoch under better conditions for social, national, and 
individual life. 

II. The Dispersion of the Races, i. Very soon after the deluge a 
new instinct, that of migration, took possession of the human fam- 
ily. Hitherto all mankind had lived together; from this time they 
began to scatter. As a result came tribes, nations, languages, and 



22 Outline Studies in the Old Testamsnt 

varieties of civilization. "The confusion of tongues" was not the 
cause, but the result, of this spirit, and may have been not sudden, 
but gradual (Gen. ii. 2, 7). 

2. Evidences of this migration are given: i.) In the Bible (Gen. 
9. 19; II, 8). 2.) The records and traditions of nearly all nations 
point to it. 3. ) Language gives a certain proof; for example, show- 
ing that the ancestors of the Eng'lish, Greeks, Ro'mans, Medes, and 
Hin'dus — races now widely dispersed — once slept under the same 
roof. At an early period streams of migration poured forth from 
the highlands of A'sia in every direction and to great distances, 

HI. The Rise of tbe Empires, In the Bible world four centers of 
national life arose, not far apart in time, each of which became a 
powerful kingdom, and in turn ruled all the Oriental lands. The 
strifes of these nations, the rise and fall, constitute the matter of 
ancient Oriental history, which is closely connected with that of the 
Bible. These four centers were: i. E'gypt, in the Nile valley, 
founded not far from B. C. 5000, and in the early Bible history hav- 
ing its capital at Mem'phis. 2. Bab-y-lo'ni-a, called also Shi''nar 
and Chal-de'a, on the plain between the Ti'gris and Eu-phra'tes 
Rivers, near the Per'sian Gulf, where a kingdom arose about B. C. 
4500; of which Barbel or Bab'y-lon was the greatest, though not the 
earliest, capital. 3. As-syr'i-a, of which the capital was Nin'e-veh 
(Gen. 10. II). 4. Pkce-ni'cia, on the Med-i-ter-ra'ne-an seacoast, 
north of PaKes-tine, having Si'don for its earlier and Tyre for its 
later capital, and holding its empire not on the land, but on the sea, 
as its people were sailors and merchants. 

IV. The Migration of A'bra-ham, B. C. 2280 ?. No other journey 
in history has the importance of that transfer of the little clan of 
A'bra-ham from the plain of Bab-y-lo'ni-a to the mountains of Pal'- 
es-tine in view of its results to the world. Compare with it the 
voyage of the Mayflower. Its causes were : i. Probably the ;;?/^r«- 
tory instinct of the age, for it was the epoch of tribal movements. 
2. The political catise may have been the desire for liberty from the 
rule of the Ac-ca'di-an dynasty that had become dominant in Chal- 
de'a. 3. But the deepest motive was religious, a purpose to 
escape from the idolatrous influences of Chal-de'a, and to find a home 
for the worship of God in what was then " the new West," where 
population was thin. It was by the call of God that A'bra-ham set 
forth on his journey (Gen. 12, 1-3). 




The Beginnings of Bible History 23 

V. The Journeys of the Patriarchs. For two centuries the little 
clan of A'bra-ham's family lived in PaFes-tine as strangers, pitching 
their tents in various localities, wherever pasturage was abundant, 
for at this time they 'were shepherds and herdsmen (Gen. 13. 2; 
46. 34). Their home was most of the time in the southern part of 
the country, west of the Dead Sea; and their relations with the 
Am'o-rites, Ca'naan-ites, and Phi-lis'tines on the soil were generally 
friendly. 

VI. The Sojotirn in E'gypt. After three generations the branch 
of A^bra-ham's family belonging to his grandson Ja'cob, or Is'ra-el, 
removed to E'gypt (Deut. 26. 5), where 
they remained more than four hun- 
dred years. This stay in E'gypt is 
always called "the sojourn." The 
event which led directly to the descent 
into E'gypt was the selling of Jo'seph 
(Gen. 37. 28). But we can trace a providential purpose in the trans- 
fer. Its objects were: 

1. Preservation. The frequent famines in Pal'es-tine (Gen. 12. 10; 
26. I ; 42. 1-3) showed that as shepherds ^the Is'ra-el-ites could not be 
supported in the land. On the fertile soil of E'gypt, with three crops 
each year, they would find food in abundance. 

2. Growth. At the end of the stay in Ca'naan the Is'ra-el-ites 
counted only seventy souls (Gen. 46. 27) ; but at the close of the 
sojourn in E'gypt they had increased to nearly two millions (Exod. 
12. 37; Num. I. 45, 46). The hot climate and cheap food of E'gypt 
have always caused an abundant population. In E'gypt, Is'ra-el 
grew from a family to a nation. 

3. Isolation. There was great danger to the morals and religion 
of the Is'ra-el-ites in the land of Ca'naan. A'bra-ham had sent to 
his own relatives at Ha'ran for a wife for I'saac (Gen. 24. 3, 4) in 
order to keep both the race and the faith pure. One of I'saac's sons 
married Ca'naan-ite wives, and as a result his descendants, the 
E'dom-ites, lost the faith and became idolaters (Gen. 26. 34, 35). 
Ja'cob sought his wives among his own relatives (Gen. 28. i, 2). We 
note a dangerous tendency in Ja'cob's family to ally themselves with 
the Ca'naan-ites (Gen. 34. 8-10; 38. i, 2). If they had stayed in 
Ca'naan the chosen family would have become lost among the 
heathen. But in E'gypt they lived apart, and were kept by the 



24 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

caste system from union with the people (Gen. 46. 34; 43. 32). It 
was a necessary element in the divine plan that Is'ra-el should 
dwell apart from other nations (Num. 23. 9). 

4. Civilization. The E-gyp'tians were in advance of other 
nations of that age in intelligence, in the organization of society, and 
in government. Though the Is'ra-el-ites lived apart from them, they 
were among them and learned much of their knowledge. What- 
ever may have been their condition at the beginning of the sojourn, 
at the end of it they had a written language (Exod. 24. 7), a system 
of worship (Exod. 19. 22 ; 33. 7), and a leader who had received the 
highest culture of his age (Acts 7. 22). As one result of the sojourn 
the Is'ra-el-ites were transformed from shepherds and herdsmen to 
tillers of the soil — a higher manner of living. 



Hints to the Teacher 



1. Let the map of the Old Testament world be drawn by a pupil on the black- 
board, and let all the lands and places referred to in this lesson be noted upon it. 
Indicate on this map the regions of the delitge, the four empires, the journey of 
A'bra-ham, and the route of the Is'ra-el-ites to E'gypt. 

2. Let the references be read and their connection with the lesson be shown by 
the students. 

3. Place on the board (and in the scholar's notebook) the outline of the lesson, 
and let additional details from the book of Genesis be given. 

4. See that each pupil can read the Blackboard Outline and answer the Review 
Questions given below. 

Blackboard Otitline 



YA, 


^.^ 


I. 


Del, I. Fac. Scrip, trad. 2. Cau. \Adck. rac. 3. Ext. 




4. Pur. I.) Des. ev. 2.) New ep. 


11. 


Disp, Rac. I. Inst. mig. 2. Evid. i.) Bib. 2.) Trad. 




3.) Lang. 


III. 


Pfse Emp. I. Eg. 2. Chal. 3. Ass. 4. Sid. and Tyr. 


IV. 


Mig. Abr. Causes, i. Mig. inst. 2. Pol. cau. 3. Rel. 




mot. 


V. 


Jo«r. Patr. Str. in Pal. Shep. Hom. Relat. 


VI. 


Soj. in Eg. Obj. i. Pres. 2. Gro. 3. Isol. 4. Civ. 


l+« 


. _ . . , , .. ^ ;, 



The Beginnings of Bible History 25 

Review Questions 

At what point does history begin? Name the six great events in early Bible 
history? How is the fact of a deluge attested? What was the moral cause of the 
flood? What was its extent? What was its purpose in the plan of God? What 
new spirit took possession of men soon after the flood? To what results did this 
lead? What was the relation of this fact to the confusion of tongues? What 
evidences of these migrations are founci? What were the four great centers of 
national life in the Oriental world? What was the most important journey, in its 
results, in all history? What three causes are given for this migration? What 
was especially the religious motive of this journey? How long did A'bra-ham's 
descendants remain in Pal'es-tine? In what part of the country did they live? 
What were their relations with the native peoples in Pal'es-tine? What is meant 
by "the sojourn"? What was its immediate cause? What four providential 
results came to Is'ra-el through this sojourn ? How long was the time of the sojourn ? 
How were the Is'ra-el -ites protected from corruption through this sojourn? What 
was the effect of the sojourn upon their civilization? 



FOURTH STUDY 
The Wandering in the Wilderness 

Part One 

I. Preliminary Events. As preparatory to the wilderness stage in 
the history of Is'ra-el certain events and processes are to be noted. 

1. The Oppression of the Is'ra-el-ites (Exod. i. 8-13). If the 
Is'ra-el-ites had been prosperous and happy in E'gypt they would 
have remained there, and the destiny of the chosen people would 
have been forgotten. Therefore, when E'gypt had given to Is'ra-el 
all that it could the wrath of man was made to praise God ; and by 
suffering the Is'ra-el-ites were made willing to leave the land of 
their sojourn and seek the land of promise. The nest was stirred 
up, and the young eaglet was compelled to fly (Deut. 32. 11, 12). 
The Pha'raoh of the oppression is generally identified with 
Ram'e-ses II, who was reigning about B. C. 1320. 

2. The Training of Mo'ses. Therein was another element of prepara- 
tion. No common man could have wrought the great work of 
liberation, of legislation, and of training which Is'ra-el needed. 

3. The Ten Plagues. But if it was needful to make the Is'ra-el-ites 
willing to depart it was also needful to make the E-gyp'tian king 
and his people willing to let them depart ; and this was accomplished 
by the plagues which fell upon E'gypt, showing Is'ra-el as under 
God's peculiar care and the gods of E'gypt powerless to protect 
their people. 

4. The Passover (Exod. 12. 21-28), This service represented 
three ideas: i.) It was the springtide festival. 2.) It commemo- 
rated the sudden departure from E'gypt, when there was not even 
time to "raise the bread" before leaving (Exod. 12. 34-39). 3.) It 
was an impressive prophecy of Christ, the slain Lamb of God 
(Exod. 12. 21, 22). 

5. The Exodos (Exod. 12. 40, 41). The word means "going 
out." This was the birthday of a nation, the hour when the 
Is'ra-el-ites rose from being merely a mass of men to become a, 



The Wandering in the Wilderness 



27 



people. The date of the exodus is uncertain, but the best scholars 
have concluded that it took place in the reign of the King Me-neph'- 
thah (or Me-re-neph'thah), who may have reigned about B. C. 1270. 

II, In order to follow the journeys of the Is'ra-el-ites we must 
draw a map of the Wilderness of the "Wandering. 

I. Draw the coast lines, and note three Seas* i.) The "great sea," 
or Med-i-ter-ra'ne-an (Josh. i. 4). 2.) The Red Sea (Exod. 13. 
18), (Gulfs of Su-ez' and Ak'a-ba). 3.) The Dead Sea. 




M E D ITEM B AUTE AJ^ 



JOURNEYS 

OF THE 

ISRAELITES 



2. Draw the mountain ranges, and note five Deserts, i.) The 
Desert of Shiir (Exod. 15. 22), between Go'shen and Ca'naan. 2.) 
The Desert of Pa' ran, in the center of the Si-na-it'ic triangle (Num. 
10. 12). This is the wilderness in which thirty-eight of the forty years 
were passed (Deut. i. 19). 3.) The Desert of E'tham (Num. 33. 8), 
on the shore of the Gulf of Su-ez'. 4.) The Desert of Sin, near Mount 
Si'nai (Exod. 16. i). 5.) The Desert of Zin, the desolate valley 
between the Gulf of Ak'a-ba and the Dead Sea, now called the 
Ar'a-bah (Num. 13. 21). 



28 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

3. Locate also the five Lands of this region, i.) Go's hen, the land of 
the sojourn (Exod. 9. 26). 2.) Mid'i-an, the land of Mouses' shepherd 
life (Exod. 2. 15), on both sides of the Gulf of Ak'a-ba. 3.) E'dom, 
the land of E'sau's descendants, south of the Dead Sea (Num. 21. 4). 
4.) Mo'ab, the land of Lot's descendants, east of the Dead Sea (Num. 
21. 13). 5.) Ca'naan, the land of promise (Gen. 12. 7). 

4; Fix also the location of three Mountains, i.) Mount Si'nai, 
where the law was given (Exod. 19. 20). 2.) Mount Hor,^ wheve 
Aar'on died (Num. 20. 23-28). 3.) Mou7it Ne'bo (Pis'gah), where 
Mouses died (Deut. 34. i). 

5. Notice also seven Places, some of which are clearly, others not 
so definitely, identified.- i.) Ram'e-ses, the starting point of the 
Is'ra-el-ites (Exod. 12. 37). 2.) Ba'al-ze'phon, the place of crossing 
the Red Sea (Exod. 14. 2). 3. ) Ma'rak, where the bitter waters were 
sweetened (Exod. 15. 22-25). 4-) E'liin, the place of rest (Exod. 15. 
27). 5.) Reph'i-dhn, the place of the first battle, near Mount Si'nai 
(Exod. 17. 8-16). 6.) Ka'desh-bar'ne-a, whence the spies were sent 
forth (Num. 13. 26). 7,) Ja'haz, in the land of Mo'ab, south of the 
brook Ar'non, where a victory was won over the Am'or-ites (Num. 
21. 23, 24). 

Blackboard Outline 
,^ ^ 

I. Pre. Even. i. Opp. Isr. 2. Tra. Mos. 3. Ten Pla. 
4. Pass. 5. Exod. 
n. Wil. Wan. I. Seas, i.) M. S. 2.) R. S. FG. S., G. A.] 
3.) D. S. 

2. Des. I.) D. Sh. 2.) D. Par. 3.) D. Eth. 4.) D. Si. 
.5.) D. Zi. 

3. Lan. I.) Gos. 2.) Mid. 3.) Ed. 4.) Mo. 5.) Can. 

4. Mts. I.) Mt. Sin. 2.) Mt. H. 3.) Mt. Neb. 

5. Pla. I.) Ram. 2.) B.-zep. 3.) Mar. 4.) El. 5.) Rep. 
6.) Kad.-bar. 7.) Jah. 



'i^ 



Review Questions 

Name five events which were preparatory to the wandering. What made the 
Is'ra-el-ites willing to leave E'gypt? What three ideas were connected with 
the passover? What is meant by the exodus? What are the three seas of the 
map illustrating the wandering? Name five deserts of this region? In which 
desert were the most years passed? What were the two deserts on the shore of 

' We give Mount Hor the traditional location, east of the Desert of Zin; but there 
is strong reason for finding it west of the Desert of Zin, near Ka'desh-bar'ne-a. 



The Wandering in the Wilderness 29 

the Red Sea? Where was the Desert of Zin? Which desert was between E'gypt 
and Pal'es-tine? Name and locate five lands of this region. Which land was 
nearest to E'gypt? Which land was on the eastern arm of the Red Sea? Which 
land lay east of the Dead Sea? . Which land was south of the Dead Sea? Name 
three mountains in this region. What event took place on each of these moun- 
tains? Name two places between E'gypt and the Red Sea. Name three places on 
the route between the Red Sea, and an event at each place. What place was south 
of Ca'naan and near it ? What events occurred at this place ? What two places 
were battlefields? 

Part Two 

III. On our map we indicate the Journeys of the Is'ra-el-iteSt and at 
the same time note the principal events of the wandering. 

1. From Ratn'e-ses to the J^ed Sea (Exod. 12. 37; 14. 9). With this 
note; i.) The crossing of the Red Sea, 

2. From the Red Sea to Mount Si'fiaz. Events: 2.) The waters of 
Ma''rah (Exod. 15. 23-26). 3.) The repulse of the Am'a-lek-ites (Exod. 
17. 8-16). 4.) The giving of the law at Mount Si'nai. Here the 
camp was kept for a year, and the organization of the people was 
effected. 

3. From Mount Si'nai to Ka'desh-bar'ne-a. At the latter place 
occurred: 5.) The sending out of the spies and their return (Num. 

13. 1-26). 6.) The defeat at Hor'mah, north of Ka'desh- bar'ne-a (Num. 

14. 40-45). It was the purpose of Mouses to" lead the people at once 
from Ka''desh up to Ca'naan. But their fear of the Ca'naan-ite and 
Am'or-ite inhabitants made them weak; they were defeated and 
driven back into the Desert of Pa'ran, where they wandered thirty- 
eight years, until the generation of slavish souls should die off, and 
a new Is'ra-el, the young people, trained in the spirit of Mouses and 
Josh'u-a and fitted for conquest, should arise in their places. 

4. Fro?n Ka'desh-bar'ne-a through the Desert of Pa' ran and Re- 
turn. This was the long wandering of thirty-eight years. We ' 
trace the route from Ka'desh, around the Desert of Pa'ran, to Mount 
Hor, to E'zi-on-ge'ber at the head of the Gulf of Ak'a-ba, and at last to 
Ka'desh once more (Num. 20. i). There occurred: 7.) The water 
from the rock at Ka'desh and Mo'ses's disobedience (Num. 20. 10-12). 
8.) The repulse by A'rad (Num. 21. i). It would seem that the 
Is'ra-el-ites made a second attempt to enter Ca'naan on the south, 
and were again defeated, though not so severely as before. 

5. From Ka'desh-bar'ne-a around E'doin to the River for' dan. 
After this second defeat Mo'ses desired to lead the people through 
the land of the E'dom-ites, and to enter Ca'naan by crossing the Jor'- 



30 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

dan (Num. 20, 14). But the E'dom-ites refused to permit such ail 
army to pass through their land (Num. 20. 18-21). Hence the Is'ra-el- 
ites were compelled to go down the Desert of Zin, past E'dom, as far 
as the Red Sea, then east of E'dom — a very long and toilsome jour- 
ney (Num. 21. 4). Note with this journey: 9.) The brazen serpent 
(Num. 21. 6-9; John 3. 14, 15). 10.) The victory over the Am'or-ites 
(Num. 21. 23, 24). This victory gave to the Is'ra-el-ites control of the 
country from Ar'non to Jab'bok, and was the first campaign of the 
conquest. The long journey was now ended in the encampment of 
the Is'ra-el-itesat the foot of Mount Ne^bo, on the eastern bank of the 
Jor'dan, near the head of the Dead Sea. 11.) The last event of the 
period was the death of Mouses, B. C. 145 1 (Deut. 34. 5-8). 

IV. The Results of the "Wandering. These forty years of wilder- 
ness life made a deep impress upon the Is'ra-el-ite people, and 
wrought great changes in their character. 

1. It gave them certain Insiitutio7is. From the wilderness they 
brought their tabernacle and all its rites and services, out of which 
grew the magnificent ritual of the temple. The Feast of Passover 
commemorated the exodus, the Feast of Pentecost the giving of the 
law, the Feast of Tabernacles (during which for a week the people 
lived in huts and booths) the outdoor life in the desert. 

2. Another result was National Unity. When the Is'ra-el-ites left 
E'gypt they were twelve unorganized tribes, without a distinct na- 
tional life. Forty years in the wilderness, meeting adversities 
together, fighting enemies, marching as one host, made them a 
nation. They emerged from the wilderness a distinct people, with 
one hope and aim, with patriotic self-respect, ready to take their 
place among the nations of the earth. 

3. hidividnal Liberty. They had just been set free from the 
tyranny of the most complete governmental machine on the face of 
the earth. In E^gypt the man was nothing; the state was every- 
thing. The Is'ra-el-ite system was an absolute contrast to the 
E-gyp'tian. For centuries after the exodus the Is'ra-el-ites lived 
with almost no government, each man doing what was right in his 
own eyes. They were the freest people on earth, far more so than 
the Greeks or the Ro'mans during their republican epochs. Mo'ses 
trained them not to look to the government for their care, but to be 
a self-reliant people, able to take care of themselves. If they had 
passed this initial stage of their history surrounded by kingdoms 



The Wandering in the Wilderness 31 

they would have become a kingdom. But they learned their first 
lessons of national life in the wilderness, untrammeled by environ- 
ment and under a wise leader, who sought to train up a nation of 
kings instead of a kingdom. 

4. Military Trai7ii?ig. We trace in the history of those forty 
years a great advance in military discipline. After crossing the 
Red Sea, Mo'ses did not wish to lead them by the direct route to 
Ca'naan.lest they should "see war" (Exod. 13. 17, 18). Attacked 
by the Am'a-lek-ites soon after the exodus, the Is'ra-el-ites were 
almost helpless (Exod. 17. 8-16; Deut. 25. 17-19)- A year later they 
were the easy prey of the Ca'naan-ites at Hor'mah (Num. 14. 40-45). 
Forty years after they crossed the Jor'dan, and entered Ca'naan a 
drilled and trained host, a conquering army. This discipline and 
spirit of conquest they gained under Mo'ses and Josh''u-a in the wil- 
derness. 

5. Religious Education. This was the greatest of all the benefits 
gained in the wilderness. They were brought back from the idola- 
tries of E'gypt to the faith of their fathers. They received God's 
law, the system of worship, and the ritual which brought them by 
its services into a knowledge of God. Moreover, their experience 
of God's care taught them to trust in Je-ho'vah, who had chosen them 
for his own people. Even though the mass of the people might 
worship idols, there was always from this time an Is'ra-el of the 
heart that sought and obeyed God. 

Blackboard Otrtline 



'.^ 






-^ 


III 


Tour, and Even. Jour. i. Ram.— R. S. i.) Cr. R. S. 




Jour. 


2. 


R. S.— Mt. Sin. 2.) Wat. Mar. 3.) Rep. Am. 
4.) Giv. 1. 




Jour. 


3. 


Mt. Sin.— Kad.-bar. 5.) Sen. sp. 6.) Def. Hor. 




Jour. 


4- 


Kad.-bar.— Des. Par.— Ret. 7.) Wat. roc. Kad. 
8.) Rep. Ar. 




Jour. 


5- 


Kad.-bar.— Ed.— Riv. Jor. 9.) Bra. ser. 10.) Vic. 
ov. Amo. II.) Dea. Mos. 




IV. 


Res. Wan. i. Ins. 2. Nat. Un. 3. Ind. Lib. 4. Mil. 








Tra. 5. Rel. Ed. 




T 






-* 



32 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

Review Questions 

State the route of the first journey. What was the great event of this ioumey? 
What was the second journey? What events are named with this journey? What 
was the third journey? What two events took place with this journey? What 
was the longest journey? Name four places of this journey? Name two events 
near its close. What was the last journey? What events took place at this time? 
Where was the last encampment of the Is'ra-el-ites? What institutions originated 
during this period? What was the political effect of this epoch upon the people? 
How did it give them liberty? What was the influence in military affairs? What 
were its results upon the religion of the people? 



' FIFTH STUDY 
Instittitions of Israelite Worship 

Part One 

In the Old Testament we note certain forms and institutions for 
worship, and as some of these received their shaping during the wil- 
derness life of the Is'ra-el-ites, we give a brief account of such insti- 
tutions at this place in the history. 

I. Earliest of all institutions for worship we find the Altar, and 
throughout the Old Testament the altar worship stands prominent. 

1. Its Principle, the root idea underlying the altar, was of a meet- 
ing between God and man. As the subject always came to his 
ruler with a gift in his hands, so the worshiper brought his offering 
to his god, whether Je-hoVah, the God of Is^ra-el, or Ba'al, the 
divinity of the Ca'naan-ites. 

2. Its Origin is unknown, but it was early sanctioned by a divine 
approval of the worship connected with it (Gen. 4. 3, 4; 8. 20; 
12. 8). 

3. Its Universality. There was scarcely a people in the ancient 
world without an altar. We find that the worship of every land and 
every religion w^as associated with altars. (See allusions in Isa. 65. 
3; 2 Kings 16. 10; Acts 17. 23, to altars outside of the Is'ra-el-ite 
faith.) 

4. Its Material. Among the Is'ra-el-ites it was of earth or unhewn 
stone. Where metal or wood was used it was merely for a cover- 
ing, the true altar being of earth inside. The laws of Is^ra-el for- 
bade any carving of the stone which might lead to idol worship 
(Exod. 20. 24, 25). 

5. Its Limitation. In the patriarchal age. the chief of the clan was 
the priest, the altar stood before his tent, and there was but one altar 
for the clan, which thus represented one family. When Is'ra-el 
became a nation only one altar was allowed by the law, carrying out 
the idea that all the Twelve Tribes were one family (Deut. 12. 13, 14; 
Josh. 22. 16). Yet the law, if known to the Is'ra-el-ites, was con- 
stantly ignored by the prophets (i Sam. 7. 9; i Kings 18. 31, 32). 



34 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

6. Its Prophetic Purpose, as revealed in the New Testament, was 
to prefigure the cross whereon Christ died (John i. 29; Heb, 9. 22; 
I Pet. 3. 18). 

II. The Offerings, as fully developed and named in the law, were 
of five kinds, as follows : 

1. The Sin Offering, i.) This regarded the worshiper as a sinner, 
and expressed the means of his reconciliation with God. 2.) The 
offering consisted of an animal. 3.) The animal was slain and 
burned without the camp. 4.) Its blood was sprinkled on the altar 
of incense in the Holy Place (Lev. 4. 3-7). 

2. The Burnt Offering, i.) This regarded the worshiper as already 
reconciled, and expressed his consecration to God. 2.) It consisted 
of an animal, varied according to the ability of the worshiper. 3. ) The 
animal was slain and burned on the altar. 4.) Its blood was poured 
out on the altar, a token that the life of the worshiper was given to 
God (Lev. I. 2-9). 

3. The Trespass Offering.' i.) This represented the divine forgive- 
ness of an actual transgression, whether against God or man, as 
distinguished from the condition of a sinner represented in the sin 
offering. 2.) The offering consisted of an animal, generally a ram, 
though a poor person might bring some flour. 3.) The animal was 
slain and burned on the altar. 4.) The blood was poured out at the 
base of the altar (Lev. 5. i-io). 

4. The Meat Offering.^ 1.) This expressed the simple idea of 
thanksgiving to God. 2.) It consisted of vegetable food. 3.) The 
offering was divided between the altar and the priest ; one part was 
burned on the altar, the other presented to the priest to be eaten by 
him as food (Lev. 2. 1-3). 

5- The Peace Offering, i.) This expressed fellowship with God in 
the form of a feast. 2.) It consisted of both animal and vegetable 
food. 3. ) The offering was divided into three parts, one part burned 
upon the altar, a second eaten by the priest, a third part eaten by 
the worshiper and his friends as a sacrificial supper. Thus God, 
the priest, and the worshiper were all represented as taking a meal 
together. 



^ Called in the Revised Version "guilt offering." 

2 This is called in the Revised Version "the meal oflfering"; that is, the offering 
to God of a meal to be eaten. It might be called "food offering." 



Institutions of Israelite Worship 35 

Blackboard Owtlinc 



I. Alt. I. Prin. 2. Grig. 3. Univ. 4. Mat. 5. Lim. 6. Proph. Pur. 



11. Off. 






I. Si. Off. 


Sin. rec. G. , 


An. 


2. Bu. Off. 


Con. G. 


An. 


3. Tre. Off. 


For. trans. 


An. 


4. Me. Off. 


Tha. Gd. 


Veg. 


5. Pea. Off. 


Pel. G. 


An. veg. 



Sl. bur. 




Spr. alt. inc. 


Sl. bur. 




Pou. alt. 


SI. bur. 




Pou. ba. alt 


Alt. pri. 






Alt. pn. 


wor. 





Review Questions 

What two institution.s of the Old Testament are here presented? What shows 
the universality of the altar in connection with worship? What is said of the origin 
of the altar? Of what material were the earliest altars made? What was the 
religious idea in the altar? What prophetic purpose did the altar have? Name 
the five kinds of offerings. How did the sin offering regard the worshiper? What 
did the sin offering express? Of what did the sin offering consist? What was done 
with the offering? What was done with the blood? What was the design of the 
burnt offering? Of what did the burnt offering consist? What was done with the 
animal? What was done with the blood in the burnt offering? Wherein did the 
trespass offering differ from the sin offering? Of what did the trespass offering 
consist? What was done with the sacrifice? What did the meat offering express? 
Of what did it consist? How was the meat offering used? What was expressed 
by the peace offering? Of what did it consist? What was done with the peace 
offering? 

Part Two 
The Tabernacle 

1. When the family of A'bra-ham grew into a people its unity was 
maintained by regarding the altar — and but one altar for all the 
Twelve Tribes — as the religious center of the nation. 

2. To the thought of the altar as the meeting place with God was 
added the conception of God dwelling among his people in a sanc- 
tuary and receiving homage as the King of Is^ra-el (Exod. 25. 8). 

3. Thus the altar grew into the Tabernacle, which was the sanc- 
tuary where God was supposed to dwell in the midst of the camp. 
As was necessary among a w^andering people, it was constructed of 
such materials as could be easily taken apart and carried on the 
march through the wilderness. 

In considering the Tabernacle and its furniture we notice the fol- 
lowing particulars : 

I. The Coart, an open square surrounded by curtains, 150 by 75 
feet in extent, and occupying the center of the camp of Is'ra-el 
(Exod. 27. 9-13). In this stood the Altar, the Laver, and the Taber- 
nacle itself. 



36 



Outline Studies in the Old Testament 



n. The Altar of Barnt Offerings stood within the court, near its 
entrance. It was made of wood plated with "brass" (which is sup- 
posed to mean copper), was yi feet square and 4| feet high. On 

this all the burnt sacrifices were 



rC=), 



'^ 



OtJff£ii 



offered (Exod. 27. i; 40. 29), ex- 
cept the sin offering. 

in. The Laver contained water 
for the sacrificial purifyings. It 
stood at the door of the tent, but 
its size and form are unknown 
(Exod. 30. 17-21). 

IV. The Tabernacle itself was a 
tent 45 feet long, 15 feet wide. Its 
walls were of boards, plated with 
gold, standing upright ; its roof of 
three curtains, one laid above an- 
other. Whether there was a ridge- 
pole or not is uncertain. It was 
divided, by a veil across the in- 
terior, into two apartments, the 
Holy Place and the Holy of Holies 
(Exod. 36. 8-38). 

V. The Holy Place was the 
larger of the two rooms into which 
the tent was divided, being 30 
feet long by 15 wide. Into this 
the priests entered for the daily 
service. It contained the Candle- 
stick, the Table, and the Altar of 
Incense (Heb. 9. 2). 

VI. The Candlestick (more cor- 
rectly, "lampstand") stood on the left side of one entering the Holy 
Place; made of gold, and bearing seven branches, each branch hold- 
ing a lamp (Exod. 25. 31-37). 

VII. The Table stood on the right of one entering the Holy Place; 
made of wood, covered with gold; 3 feet long, i|- feet wide, 2| feet 
high; contained 12 loaves of bread, called "the bread of the pres- 
ence" (Exod. 37. 10, 11). 

VIII. The Altar of Incense stood at the inner end of the Holy Place, 



n 

MTAfl Of 
BUBNTOFrnilNGa 



DIAGRAM SHOWING LOCATION OF THE OB- 
JECTS WITHIN THE TABERNACLE COURT. 



Institutions of Israelite Worship 



37 



near the veil; made of wood, covered with gold; i| feet square and 
3 feet high. On it the incense was lighted by fire from the Altar 
of Burnt Offerings (Exod. 30. i, 2). 

IX. The Holy of Holies was the innermost and holiest room in the 
Tabernacle, into which the high priest alone entered on one day in 
each year (the Day of Atonement); in form a cube of 15 feet. It 
contained only the Ark of the Covenant (Heb. 9. 3). 

X. The Ark of the Q)venant was a chest containing the stone 
tablets of the Commandments; made of wood, covered on the out- 
side and inside with gold; 3 feet 9 inches long, 2 feet 3 inches wide 
and high. Through gold rings on the sides were thrust the staves 
by which it was borne on the march. Its lid, on which stood two 
figures of the cherubim, was called " the mercy seat." On this the 
high priest sprinkled the blood on the Day of Atonement (Exod. 25. 
17, 18; Heb. 9. 7). 

Blackboard Otitline 



t!h 


>:? 




The Tabernacle 


I. 


Cott. sq. 150. 75. (Al. Lav. Tab.) 


n. 


Alt. woo. br. 7^. 4>^. 


III. 


Lav. do. ten. 


IV. 


Tab. 45- 15. bds. cur. (H.P. H.H.) 


V. 


Ho. PI. 30. 15- (Can. Tab. Alt. Inc.) 


VI. 


Can. go. 7 bran. 


VII. 


Tab. 3- 1/2- 2X. 12 loa. 


VIII. 


Alt. Inc. woo. gol. 1)4-3' 


IX. 


Ho. Hoi. 15. 15. 15. (Ar. Cov.) 


X. 


Ar. Cov. wo. go. 3,9. 2,3. " mer. se." 



>¥■ 



-^ 



Review Qwestions 

How was the unity of the Is'ra-el-ite people maintained? What was the con- 
ception or thought in the Tabernacle? Why was it constructed of such material? 
What was the court of the Tabernacle ? What were the dimensions of the court ? 
What stood in the court? What were the materials of the Altar of Burnt OfTerings.? 
What was the size of this altar? What was the laver, and where did it stand? 
What was the Tabernacle itself? Into what rooms was it divided' How was it 
covered? What were the dimensions of the Holy Place? What did the Holy Place 
contain? What was the form of the candlestick? Where did the candlestick stand? 
Of what was the Altar of Incense made? What were its dimensions? For what 



38 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

was this altar used? What were the dimensions of the Holy of Holies? What did 
the Holy of Holies contain? Who alone entered this room, and how often? What 
was the Ark of the Covenant? What was the "mercy seat"? 

Part Three 

The Sacred Year 

I. Among the Is'ra-el-ites certain institutions of worship were 
observed at regular intervals of time which have been called the 
Periodical Instittttions. These were: 

1. The Sabbath, observed one day in seven ; of which the root idea 
is the giving to God a portion of our time. (See references in the 
Old Testament: Gen. 2. 3; Exod. 20. 8-11; Isa. 56. 2; 58. 13.) In the 
New Testament we find the first day of the week gradually taking 
its place among the early Christians (Acts 20. 7 ; i Cor. 26. 2 ; Rev. 
I. 10). 

2. The New Moon, which was the opening day of each month ; 
regarded as a sacred day, and celebrated with religious services 
(Num. 10. 10; 2 Kings 4. 23). 

3. The Seven Anntial Solemnities, the important occasions of the 
year, six feasts and one fast day. 

4. The Sabbatical Year* One year in every seven was to be ob- 
served as a year of rest, and the ground was not to be tilled (Lev. 
25. 2-7). 

5. The Year of Jubilee. Once in fifty years the Is'ra-el-ites were 
commanded to give liberty to slaves, freedom to debtors, and gen- 
eral restitution of alienated inheritances (Lev. 25. 9, 10). How far 
the * ' Sabbatical Year " and ' ' the Year of Jubilee ' ' were actually kept 
among the Is'ra-el-ites we have no means of knowing; but the com- 
mands concerning them were given in the law. 

II. We take for special notice among these periodical institutions 
the Seven Annual Solemnities of the Sacred Year. Most of these were 
instituted in the time of Mo'ses, but two of them arose later. We 
consider them all, however, in this place, rather than at the closing 
of the history, where two of the feasts properly belong. These 
may be classified as: 

1. The Three Great Feasts: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles; 
all observed at the capital, and requiring the people to make annual 
pilgrimages to Je-ru'sa-lem. 

2. The Annual Fast; the Day of Atonement. 



Institutions of Israelite Worship 39 

3. The Three Lesser Feasts: Trumpets, Dedication, Purim. These 
were observed throughout the land, as well as in Je-ru'sa-lem. 

With regard to each of these we will note: i.) Its time. 2.) The 
event which it commemorated. 3.) How it was observed. 

1. The Feast of Passover (Luke 22. i). 

I.) Was held in the spring, on the fourteenth of the month Abib, 
or Nisan, corresponding to parts of March and April (Exod. 
12. iS). 

2.) Commemorated the exodus from E'gypt (Exod. 12. 42). 

3.) Observed with the eating of unleavened bread and the slain 
lamb (Exod. 12. 19-21). 

2. The Feast of Pentecost (Acts 2. i). 

I.) Was held early in the summer, on the fiftieth day after Pass- 
over, in the month Sivan, corresponding to May and June. 
2.) Commemorated the giving of the law. ^ (See Exod. 19. i, 11.) 
3.) Observed by "first fruits" laid on the altar, with special 
sacrifices (Lev. 23. 15-21). 

3. The Feast of Tabernacles (John 7. 2, 10). 

I.) Held in the fall, after the ingathering of crops, from the 15th 
to the 2ist of the seventh month. Ethanim, corresponding to 
September and October (Lev. 23. 34). 

2.) Commemorated the outdoor life of the wilderness (Lev. 

23. 43)- 
3.) Observed by li\'ing in huts or booths, and by special sacri- 
fices (Lev. 23. 35-42). 

4- The Day of Atonement, the only fast required by the JeWish law. 
I.) Held in the fall, on the tenth day of the month Ethanim 

(Lev. 23. 27), five days before the Feast of Tabernacles. 
2.) Showing the sinner's reconciliation with God. 
3. ) On this day only in the year the high priest entered the Holy 

of Holies (Exod. 30. 10). 

5- The Feast of Trtimpets. 

I.) Held on the first day of the seventh month, Ethanim, corre- 
sponding to September or October (Lev. 23. 24). 
2.) This feast recognized the "New Year Day" of the civil 



* According to Josephus; the fact is not stated in the Bible. 

' The ecclesiastical year began with the month Abib, or Nisan, in the spring; the 
ci%nl year with the month Ethanim in the fall. 



40 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

3.) It was observed with the blowing of trumpets all through 
the land. 

6. The Feast of Dedication, not named in the Old Testament. 

(See John 10. 22.) 
I.) This was held in the winter, on the 25th of the month Chis- 

leu (December), and for eight days thereafter. 
2.) It commemorated the reconsecration of the Temple by Ju'das 

Mac'ca-be'us, B. C. 166, after its defilement by the Syr'i-ans. 
3.) It was observed by a general illumination of Je-ru'sa-lem ; 

hence often called "the feast of lights." 

7. The Feast of Porim, not named in the New Testament, unless 
it be referred to in John 5. i. 

I.) Held in the early spring, the 14th and 15th of the month 

Adar (March) (Esth. 9. 21). 
2.) Commemorating Queen Es'ther's deliverance of the Jew'ish 

people (Esth. 9. 22-26). 
3.) Observed with general feasting and rejoicing. 



Blackboard Outline 



*- 



I. Per. Inst. i. Sab. 2. Ne. Mo. 3. Sev. Ann. Sol. 4. Sab. 
Ye. 5. Ye. Jub. 
II. Sac. Yea. 



Gr. Fe. - 


i 


Pass. spr. ex. Eg. sla. la. 
Pen. sum. giv. la. fir. fru. 
Tab. fal. lif. wil. liv. huts. 


Ann. Fa. 


4- 


Day. At. fal. sin. rec. pr. H. Hoi. 


Les.Fe. . 


:i 


Trum. fal. N. Ye. bl. trum. 
Ded. win. rec. Tem. ill. Jer. 
Pur. spr. Esth. del. fea. rej. 



•i 



Review Questions 

What is meant by " Periodical Institutions"? Name the five general periodical 
institutions of the Is'ra-el-ites. What did the Sabbath commemorate? What were 
the new moons? How many times in the year were observed by the Is'ra-el-ites? 
What was the Sabbatical Year? What was the Year of Jubilee? Name the three 
great feasts. When was each great feast observed? What did each feast com- 
memorate? How was each feast observed? What took place on the Day of Atone- 
ment? What did the Day of Atonement represent? What were the three lesser 
feasts? When was each observed? What did each lesser feast commemorate? 
How were these feasts observed? 



SIXTH STUDY 
The Land of Palestine 



Part One 



We have followed the 
history of the Is'ra-el- 
ites to their encamp- 
ment on the border of 
their promised land. 
Before taking up the 
study of their conquest 
of Ca'naan let us ob- 
tain some conception of 
the country with which 
the greater part of Bible 
history is connected — 
the land of Pal'es-tine. 

I. Let us notice its 
Names at different pe- 
riods : 

1, The earliest name 
was d'naan, ' ' low- 
land," referring only to 
the section between the 
river Jor'dan and the 
Med-i-ter-ra'ne-an Sea, 
of which the inhabitants 
most widely known 
were the Ca'naan-ites, 
dwelling on the lowland 
plains (Gen. 12. 5). 

2. After the conquest 
by Josh'u-a it was 
called Is'ra-el, though in 



PALESTINE 




42 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

later times of Old Testament history the name referred only to the 
northern portion, the southern kingdom being called Ju'dah (Judg. 
1 8. I ; I Kings 12. 20). 

3. In the New Testament period its political name was Ju-de'a, 
which was also the name of its most important province (Mark i. 5). 

4. Its modern name is Pares-tinc, a form of the word ' ' Phi-lis'- 
tine," the name of a heathen race which in early times occupied its 
southwestern border (Isa. 14. 29). 

II. The f ollowin"^ are the principal Dimensions of Pal'es-tine : 

1. Ca'naan, or western PaFes-tine, has an area of about 6,600 
square miles, a little less than Massachusetts. 

2. Pares-tine Proper, the domain of the Twelve Tribes, embraces 
12,000 square miles, about the area of Massachusetts and Connect- 
icut. 

3. The Coast Line, from Ga'za, the southernmost town, to Tyre, 
on the north, is not far from 140 miles long. 

4. The Jor'dan is distant from the coast at Tyre about 25 miles; 
and the Dead Sea, in a line due east from Ga'za, about 60 miles. 

5. The Jor'dan Line, from Dan, one of the sources of the Jor'dan, 
to the southern end of the Dead Sea, is 155 miles. 

III. The most important "Waters of Pal'es-tine are : 

1. The Med-i-ter-ra'ne-an Sea, which bounds the land on the west 
(Josh. I. 4; Exod. 23. 31; Deut. 11. 24). 

2. The River Jor'dan, rising in three sources in Mount Her'mon, 
and emptying into the Dead Sea in a direct line 105 miles long, but 
by its windings over 200 miles (Deut. 9. i ; Josh. 4. i ; 2 Sam. 17. 22). 

3. Lake Me'rom, now called Hu'leh, a triangular sheet of water, 3 
miles across, in a swamp in northern GaFi-lee (Josh. 11. 5). 

4. The Sea of Gari-Iee,^ a pear-shaped lake, 14 miles long by 9 
wide, and nearly 700 feet below the sea level. (Note other names in 
Josh. 13. 27; II. 2; Luke 5. i; John 6. i.) 

5. The Dead Sea, 47 miles long by 10 wide, and 1,300 feet below 
the sea level (Gen. 14. 3; Deut. 4. 49; Joel 2. 20). 

IV. The land of Pal'es-tine lies in five Natural Divisions, nearly 
parallel: 

I. The Maritime Plain, or sandy flat, extending along the Med-i- 
ter-ra'ne-an Sea, from 8 to 20 miles wide. 

'The Old Testament name for the Sea of Gal 'i -lee is Chin'ne-reth (ch as k), a 
word meaning " harp -shaped." 



The Land of Palestine 43 

2. The Sheph'e-Iah, or foothills, from 300 to 500 feet high and 
very fertile. 

3. The Mountain Region, the backbone of the land, consisting of 
mountains from 2,500 to 4,000 feet high. 

4. The Jor'dan Valley, a deep ravine, the bed of the river and its 
three lakes, from 500 to 1,200 feet below the level of the sea, and 
from 2 to 14 miles wide. 

5. The Eastern Table-land, a region of lofty and precipitous moun- 
tains, from whose summit a plain stretches away to the A-ra'bi-an 
Desert on the east. 

Hints to the Teacher 

1. Let the map be drawn by the teacher in presence of the class, and each part 
carefully taught, while the class also draw the map in their notebooks. 

2. Then erase the map from the board, and call upon one scholar, in presence 
of the class, to draw the lines representing natural divisions: another the river 
and lakes, etc., etc. 

3. If chalk of different colors can be used for the different departments of the 
map, coast line and Jordan line one color, mountain lines another, it will add to 
the interest. 

Blackboard Outline 



*h 






I. 


Na. Ca. Isr. Jud. Pal. 




II. 


Dim» Ca. 6,600. Pal. 12,000. C. L. 140. To Jor. 
25. To D. S. 60. Jor. L. 155. 




III. 


Wat. Med. Jor. L. Me. S. Gal. D. S. 




IV. 


Nat. Div. M. P. Sh. M. R. J. V. E. T.-L. 




^ 




>j, 



Review Questions 

Why is a knowledge of the land of Pal'es-tine important? Give and explain the 
four different names of this land. What is meant by "Ca'naan" proper.? How 
large is Ca'naan? How large was the domain of the Twelve Tribes? How long is 
the coast line? How far is the Jor'dan distant from the coast near its source? 
How far is the Dead Sea from the coast? What is meant by the Jor'dan line? 
How long is the Jor'dan line? Name the most important waters of Pal'es-tine. 
Describe the river Jor'dan, sources, elevations, length, etc. Describe and locate 
Lake Me'rom. Describe the Sea of Gal'i-lee. Describe the Dead Sea. What are 
the five natural divisions of Pal'es-tine? 



44 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

Part Two 

V. Pares-tine is a land of Mountains, among which we notice- only 
a few of the most important, beginning in the north. 

1. Mount Her 'men, is near the source of the J or 'dan, on the east, 
and is the highest mountain in Pal'es-tine. 

2. Mount Leb'a-non, west of Her'mon, was famous for its cedars 
(i Kings 5. 6; Psa. 29. 5). 

3. Mount Ta'bor, the place of Deb'o-rah's victory, is southwest of 
the Sea of Gal'i-lee (Judg. 4. 6). 

4. Mount Gil-bo'a, where King vSaul was slain, is south of Ta'bor 
(i Sam, 31. i; 2 Sam, i, 21). 

5. Mount Car'mel, the place of E-li'jah's sacrifice, is on the Med-i- 
ter-ra'ne-an, due west of the Sea of Gal'l-lee (i Kings 18. 20, 42; Isa. 
35- 2). 

6. Mount E'bal, "the mount of cursing," lies in the center of the 
land (Deut. 11. 26), 

7. Mount Ger'i-zim, "the mount of blessing," is south of E''bal 
(Josh. 8. 33; John 4. 20). 

8. Mount Zi'on, on which Je-ru'sa-lem stood and still stands, is due 
west of the head of the Dead Sea, 

9. Mount Ne'bo, where Mo'ses died, is directly opposite Zi'on, on 
the east of the Dead Sea (Deut. 34. i). 

VI. We note a few of the most important places, selecting only 
those connected with Old Testament history ; and we arrange them 
aiccording to the natural divisions of the land. 

1. On the Seacoast Plai7i were: 

I.) Ga'za, on, the south, the scene of Sampson's exploits and death 

(Judg. 16. 21). 
2.) Jop'pa, principal seaport of Pal'es-tine (2 Chron. 2. 16; Jonah 

1.3). 
3.) Tyre, just beyond the northern boundary of Pares-tine, a 
great commercial city of the Phoe-ni'cians (Josh. 19. 29). 

2. In the Mou7itain Region were: 

I.) Be'er-she'ba, in the southern limit of the land (Gen. 21. 31, 33; 

I Sam. 3. 20; I Kings 19, 3). 
2.) He'bron, burial place of the patriarchs (Gen. 23. 19 ; 49. 29-31). 
3) Beth'Ie-hem, the birthplace of DaVid (i Sam. 17. 12). 
4.) Je-ru'sa-Iem, "the city of the great king," which stands due 

west of the northern point of the Dead Sea (2 Sam. 5. 6-9). 



The Land of Palestine 45 

5.) Bcth'el, nine miles north of Je-ru'sa-lem, the place of Ja'cob's 
vision (Gen. 28. 19). 

6.) She'chcm, between the twin mountains Ger'i-zim and E'bal, 

in the center of tlie land (i Kings 12. i). 
7.) Sa-ma'ri-a, the capital of the Ten Tribes (i Kings 16. 24). 
3. In the y or '(/an Va//ej^ were: 

I.) Jcr'i-cho, near the head of the Dead Sea (i Kings 16. 34). 
2.) Dan, at one of the sources of the Jor'dan, the northernmost 
place in the land (Judg. 18. 28; 20. i). 



Blackboard Outline 



^ 



I. Na. Ca. Isr. Jud. Pal. 

II. Dim. Ca. 6,600. Pal. 12,000. C. L. 140. Tojor. 25. To 
D. S. 60. Jor. L. 155. 

III. "Wat. Med. Jor. L. Me. S. Gal. D. S. 

IV. Nat. Div. M. P. Sh. M. R. J. V. E. T.-L. 

V. Mtns. Her. Leb. Tab. Gil. Car. Eb. Ger. Zi. Ne. 
VI. Pla. I. Sea. PL Ga. Jop. Ty. 2. Mtn. Reg. Beer. Heb. 
Beth. Jer. Bet. She. Sam. 3. Jor. Val. Jer. Da. 



-^ 



Review Qwestions 



Name nine mountains on the map of Pal'es-tine. State the location of each 
mountain. State a fact for which each mountain is celebrated. Name and locate 
three places on the Maritime Plain. Name and locate seven places in the Mountain 
Region. Name and locate two places in the Jor'dan Valley. 



SEVENTH STUDY 

The Conquest of Canaan 

I. Let us notice the Ca'naan-ites, the peoples who were dispos- 
sessed by the Is'ra-el-ites, 

1. They were of one stock, according to the Scriptures, belonging 
to the Ham'ite race, and all descended from the family of Ca'naan 
(Gen. lo. 15-19). 

2. They were divided into variotts tribes, from seven to ten nations, 
arranged mainly as follows: i.) On the seacoast plain, the Phi-lis'- 
tines on the south, the Ca'naan-ites in the middle, and the Phoe-ni'- 
cians, or Zi-do'ni-ans, on the north of Mount Car'mel. 2.) In the 
mountain region, the Am'or-ites in the south, the Jeb'u-sites around 
Je-ru'sa-lem, the HiVites in the center of the land, and the Hit'tites 
in the north. 3.) The Jor'dan valley was held by the Ca''naan-ites. 
4.) On the eastern table-land, the Mo'ab-ites east of the Dead Sea, 
the Am'or-ites east of the Jor'dan, and the Ba'shan-ites in the 
north. 

3. Their government was local. Not only was each tribe inde- 
pendent, but each little locality, often each city, had its o\vn 
" king," or chief. There was no unity of government, and scarcely 
any combination to resist the invasion of Is'ra-el, a fact which made 
the conquest far less difficult. 

4. They were idolatroas and, as a result, grossly immoraL Idola- 
try is always associated with immorality ; for the worship of idols is 
a deification of sensuality. Ba'al and Ash'e-rah (plural Ash'to-reth) 
were the male and female divinities worshiped by most of these 
races (Judg. 2. 13). 

5. They had been weakened before the coming of the Is'ra-el-ites 
either by war or by pestilence. The allusions in Exod. 23. 28 ; Deut. 
7. 20 ; and Josh. 24. 12, have been referred to an invasion before that 
of Israel, or to some plague, which destroyed the native races. 

II. The Campaigns of the G)nqaest. These may be divided as 
follows : 



The Conquest of Canaan 



4^ 



CAMPAIGNS 

OF THE 

CONQUEST 



I. The Campaigns East of the Jor'dan. These were during the 
lifetime of Mouses, and gained for Is'ra-el all the territory south of 
Mount Her'mon, 

I.) The conquest of . 
Gil'e-ad was made at 
the battle of Ja'haz, 
near the brook Ar'non 
(Num. 21. 21-31). In 
one battle the Is'ra-el- 
ites gained the land of 
Gil'e-ad east of the 
Jor'dan. 

2.) The conquest of 
Ba'shan was completed 
at the battle of Ed're-i, 
in the mountainous re- 
gion (Num. 21. 33-35). 

3.) The conquest of 
Mid'i-an (Num. 31. 1-8) 
was led by the warrior- 
priest Phin'e-has, and 
by smiting the tribes on 
the east protected the 
frontier toward the des- 
ert. The land won by 
these three campaigns 
became the territory of 
the tribes of Reu'TDcn, 
Gad, and the half tribe 
of Ma-nas'seh (Deut. 
32). 

2. The Campaigns 
"West of the Jor'dan 
were led by Josh'u-a, and showed great tactical skill and resistless 
energy of action. Josh'u-a led his people across t^e Jor'dan and 
established a fortified camp, the center of operations during all his 
campaigns, at Gil'gal (Josh. 4. 19). 

I.) The first invasion was of Central P ares-tine, beginning with 
Jer'i-cho (Josh. 6), taking A'i on the way (Josh. 8), and ending with 




48 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

She'chem, which apparently fell without resistance (Josh. 8, 30-33). 
This campaign gave to Is''ra-el the center of the land and divided 
their enemies into two sections. 

2.) Next came the campaign against Southern Pal'es-tine. At 
this time was fought the battle of Beth-ho'ron (Josh. 10. 10), the 
most momentous in its results in all history, and one over which, if 
ever, the sun and moon might well stand still (Josh. 10. 12, 13).* 
After this great victory Josh'u-a pursued his enemies and took the 
towns as far south as He'bron and De'bir (Josh. 10. 29-39). 

3.) Lastly, Josh'u-a conquered Northern Pal'es-tine (Josh. 11). 
The battle in this campaign was near Lake Me'rom (Josh. 11. 7), 
and, as before, it w^as followed by the capture of many cities in the 
north. Thus in those marches Josh'u-a won all the mountain 
region of western Pares-tine. 

3. There were certain stipplementary campaigns, partly in 
Josh'u-a's time, partly afterward. 

I.) Caleb's capture of He^bron, which had been reoccupied by 
the Am'or-ites (Josh. 14 ; Judg. i. 10-15). 

2. ) The Ju'dah-ites' capture of Be'zek, an unknown place between 
Je-ru'sa-lem and the Phi-lisline plain (Judg. i. 1-8). 

3.) The Danltes' capture of Lavish, in the extreme north, which 
afterward bore the name of Dan (Judg. 18). 

But, after all these campaigns, a large part of the land was still 
unsubdued, and the war of the conqtiest did not end until the days 
of Da'vid,by whom every foe was finally placed under foot. 

III. General Aspects of Is'ra-el at the Close of the Conqttest. 

I. With regard to the native races* They were not destroyed nor 
driven away, as had been commanded.^ They remained as subject 
people in some places, as the ruling race on the seacoast and in the 
Jor'dan valley. We see their influence, always injurious, through- 

^ The account of the sun and moon standing still is an extract from an ancient 
poem, and is so printed in the Revised Version. The subject is discussed in Geikie's 
Hours with the Bible, footnote with chapter 13. 

2 With regard to the destruction of theCa'naan-Ites: i. Such destruction was the 
almost universal custom of the ancient world. 2. It was observed by the Ca'naan-ites, 
who were among the most wicked of ancient peoples. 3. It was necessary if Is'ra-el 
was to be kept from the corruption of their morals, and upon Is'ra-el's character 
depended the world in after ages. 4. As a result of failing to extirpate the Ca'naan-ites 
a vastly greater number of the Is'ra-el-ites were destroyed dtiring the succeeding 
centuries. 



The Conquest of Canaan 49 

out all Is'ra-el's history (Exod. 23. 31-33 ; Deut. 7, 1-5); and some 
think that the present inhabitants of the country belong to the 
original Ca'naan-ite stock. 

2. The Is'ra-el-ites did not occupy all the country. They possessed 
most of the mountain region, but none of the seacoast plain on the 
Jor'dan valley. They were like the Swiss in modern times, living 
among the mountains. Even in the New Testament period the 
lowlands were occupied mainly by Gen'tiles. 

3. The landed system was peculiar. Estates were inalienable. 
They might be leased, but not sold ; and on the year of jubilee 
(every fiftieth year) all land reverted to the family originally own- 
ing it. Thus every family had its ancestral home, the poor were 
protected, and riches were kept within bounds. 

4. The government was a republic of families without an executive 
head, except when a judge was raised up to meet special needs. 
Each tribe had its own rulers, but there was no central authority 
after Josh'u-a (Judg. 21. 25). This had its evils, for it led to 
national weakness ; but it had its benefits: i.) It kept Is'ra-el from 
becoming a great worldly kingdom like E'gypt and As-syr'i-a, 
which would have thwarted the divine purpose. 2.) It promoted 
individuality and personal energy of character. There would have 
been no "Age of Heroes" if Is'ra-el had been a kingdom like 
E'gypt. 

5. The religious system was simple. There was but one altar at 
Shiloh for all the land and for all the tribes, and the people 
were required to visit it for the three great feasts (Deut. 12. 
II, 14 ; Josh. 18. i). This was the religious bond which united the 
people. If it had been maintained they would have needed no 
other constitution, and even its partial observance kept the people 
one nation. 

6. The character of the people was diverse. Throughout the his- 
tory we trace the working of two distinct elements : There was the 
true Is'ra-el — the earnest, religious, God-worshiping section, the 
Is'ra-el of Josh'u-a and Gid'e-on and Sam'u-el. Then there was 
the underlying mass of the people — secular, ignorant, prone to 
idolatry, the Is'ra-el that worshiped Ba'al and Ash'to-reth, and 
sought alliance with the heathen. One element was the hope of the 
nation; the other was its bane. We shall constantly see the evi- 
dences of these two elements in the story of the Is'ra-el-ites. 



60 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

Blackboard Outline 



I. Can, I. One st. 2. Var. tri. i.) S. P. Phil. Can. 
Phoe. 2.) M. R. Am. Je. Hiv. Hitt. 3.) J. V. Can. 
4.) E. T.-L. Mo. Am. Bash. 3. Gov. loc. 4. Idol, 
imm. 5. Weak, 
n. Camp,Conq. i. Camp. Eas. Jor. i.) Gil. Jah. 2.) Bash. 
Ed. 3.) Mid. 

2. Camp. Wes. Jor. i.) Cent. Pal. Jer. Ai. She. 2.) Sou. 
Pal. Beth-hor. 3.) Nor. Pal. L. Mer. 

3. Supp. Camp. I.) Cal. cap. Heb. 2.) Jud. cap. Bez. 
3.) Dan. cap. Lai. 

III. Gen. Asp. Isr. at Qo. Conq. i. Nat. rac. sub. 2. Isr. in 
mtn. reg. 3. Land. sys. 4. Gov. rep. fam. 5. Rel. sys. 
6. Char. peo. 



-V 



Questions for Review 



To what race did the Ca'naan-ite tribes belong? What were their tribes, and 
where located? What was their government? What was their worship? What 
was the effect of their worship on their character? What had taken place shortly 
before the coming of the Is'ra-el-ites? What campaigns of conquest were made 
before the death of Mo'ses ? What battles were fought in these campaigns ? What 
tribes took possession of this territory ? On which side of the Jor'dan were Josh'u -a's 
campaigns? What traits as a military leader did he show? What places were cap- 
tured on the first of Josh'u -a's campaigns? What was the effect of this campaign 
on the enemies? Against what section was Josh'u-a's second campaign? Where 
was the great battle fought? What is said to have taken place at this battle? 
What cities were captured at this time? Where was the third campaign of Josh'u-a 
directed? Where was the battle fought in this campaign? What were the three 
supplementary campaigns? What city was conquered by Ca'leb? What city was 
occupied by the tribe of Dan? What king, long after Josh'u-a, completed the con- 
quest of Ca'naan? What was the condition of the native races after the conquest? 
What was the result of their continuance in the land? What portion of the country 
was occupied by the Is'ra-el-ites? What modem analogy is given to them ? What 
was the system of land tenure among the Is'ra-el-ites? What were some of its 
benefits? What was the form of government? Wherein was the system defective? 
What were its excellences? What was the religious system of the Is'ra-el-ites? 
What was the effect of this system ? What was the religious character of the peo- 
ple? What was the condition of the mass of the Is'ra-el-ites? 



EIGHTH STUDY 
The Age of the Heroes 

From the death of Josh'u-a to the coronation of Saul the Twelve 
Tribes of Is'ra-el were without a central government, except as from 
time to time men of ability rose up among them. It was not, as some 
have supposed, an "age of anarchy," for anarchy is confusion; 
and during most of the time there were peace and order in Is'ra-el. 
It was rather an " age of heroes," for its rulers were neither heredi- 
tary nor elective, but men called forth by the needs of the hour and 
their own qualities of leadership. 

I. The Condition of Is'ra-cl daring This Period. This was partly 
favorable and partly unfavorable. Th^i favorable elements were: 

1. The Motintain Location of Is'ra-el. The tribes were perched like 
Switzerland in the Alps. There was a desert on the south and on 
the east, while on the west lay the plain by the sea, the great route 
of travel between E'gypt and the Eu-phra'tes. Great armies passed 
and repassed over this plain, and great battles were fought by 
E-gyp'tians, Hit'tites, and As-syr'i-ans, while Is^ra-^el on her moun- 
tain peaks was unmolested. This mountain home left Is'ra-el gen- 
erally unnoticed, and, when attacked, almost inaccessible. 

2. The Racial Unity of Is'ra-el. The two finest races of the world, 
the Greek and the Is^ra-el-ite, were both of pure blood. The Is'ra- 
el-ites were one in origin, in language, in traditions, in aspirations. 
This national unity often brought the tribes together in times of dis- 
tress, though not always when the union was needed. 

3. The Religious Institutions. In Greece every town had its own god 
and its own religion ; hence the many parties and petty nationalities. 
But in Is'ra-el there was in theory but one altar, one house of God, one 
system of worship, with its annual pilgrimage to the religious capi- 
tal (i Sam. I. 3). Just to the measure in which these institutions 
were observed Is'ra-el was strong against all foes, and as they were 
neglected the land became the prey of oppressors (Judg. 2. 7-14 ; 
I Sam. 7. 3). 



52 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

But there were also U7ifavorable elements in the condition of 
Is'ra-el, which threatened its very existence. These were: 

1. The Native Races. These were of two kinds : the subject people 
left on the soil, more or less under the domination of the conquerors ; 
and 'the surrounding nations, Am'mon, Mo'ab, Syr'i-a, and the 
Phi-lis'tines. There was danger from their enmity, a rebellion of 
the subject tribes, allied with the enemies around, for the destruc- 
tion of Is'ra-el. And there was far greater danger from their friend- 
ship, which would lead to intermarriage, to idolatry, to corruption of 
morals, and to ruin (Judg. 3. 1-7). 

2. Lack of a Central Government. Is'ra-el was in the condition of 
the United States at the close of the Revolution, from 1783 to 1789, 
a loose confederation with no central authority. There were twelve 
tribes, but each governed itself. Only under some great chieftain like 
Gid'e-on or Sam'u-el were all the twelve tribes united. Most of the 
judges ruled only over their own district of a few adjoining tribes. 
Often the northern tribes were in peril, but we never read of Ju''dah 
going to their assistance ; and in Ju'dah's wars with the Phi-lis''tines 
the northern tribes stood aloof. 

3. Tribal Jealoasy. Until the establishment of the American repub- 
lic the world never saw, for any length of time, a league of states 
on an equal footing. In Greece the strongest state claimed the 
hegeinotiy, or leadership, and oppressed its allies. In Italy the 
Ro'mans reduced all their neighbors to subjection. In Europe it 
now requires an army of more than a million men to maintain the 
"balance of power." So in Is'ra-el there was a constant struggle for 
the leadership between the two great tribes of Ju'dah and E'phra-im. 
During the period of the judges E'phra-im was constantly asserting 
its rights to rule the other tribes (Judg. 8. 1-3 ; 12. 1-6). We trace 
this rivalry through all the reign of Da Vid ; and at last it led to the 
division of the empire under Re-ho-bo'am. 

4. Idolatrotfs Tendencies. We note constantly " the two Is'ra-els " 
— a spiritual minority and an irreligious, idolatrous mass. For many 
centuries the greatest evil of Is'ra-el-ite history was the tendency to 
the worship of idols. Causes which operated to promote it were: i.) 
The natural craving for a visible object of worship, not altogether 
eradicated from even the Christian heart ; for example, Ro'mish 
images and the use of the crucifix. 2.) The association of Is'ra-el 
with idolaters on the soil or as neighbors. 3.) The opportunity 



The Age of the Heroes 53 

which idol worship gives to gratify lust under the guise of religion. 
As a result of these forces we find idol worship the crying sin of the 
Is'ra-el-ites down to the captivity in Bab'y-lon. 

II. The Judges of Is'ra-el. These were the heroes of that age, the 
men who in turn led the tribes, freed them from their enemies, and 
restored them to the service of God. 

1. Their Office. It was not generally to try legal cases between 
man and man or between tribe and tribe. It might be regarded as 
a military dictatorship blended wnth a religious authority. The judge 
was a union of the warrior and the religious reformer. 

2. Their Appointment, not by election, nor the votes of the people. 
The Orientals have never chosen their rulers by suffrage. The 
judges were men whom the people recognized as called of God to 
their office (Judg. 2. i6 ; 3. 9 ; 6. 11-13). 

3. Their authority rested not on law, nor on armies, but on the 
personal elements of integrity and leadership in the men, and on the 
general belief in their inspiration. They spoke to the people with 
the authority of a messenger from God. They arose in some hour 
of great need, and after the immediate danger was over held their 
power until the end of their lives. 

4. The Extent of Their Rule was generally local, over a few tribes 
in one section. Deb'o-rah ruled in the north (Judg. 5. 14-18) ; 
Jeph'thah governed only the east of the Jor'dan (Judg. 11. 29). 
Often more than one judge was ruling at the same time; probably 
Sam'son and Eli were contemporaneous. Gid'e-on and Sam'u-el 
alone ruled all the twelve tribes. 

Blackboard Outline 



*- 


















T 




I. 


Cond. Isr, 


Fav. 


I. Mtn. 


]^oc. 


2. Rac. Un. 


3. Rel. 


Inst. 






Unfav. 


I. Nat. 


Rac. 2 


Lac 


. Cent. 


Gov. 


3. Tri. 


Jeal. 






4. Idol. 


Ten. 
















II. 


'^iid. Isr. 


I. Off. 


2. App. 


3- 


Auth. 


4. Ex 


Ru. 




*h- 


















'^ 



Review Questions 

Between what events vas this period? What were its traits? What were the 
conditions favorable to Is'ra-el during this period? How did their location aid 
the Is'ra-el-ites? Wherein were the Is'ra-el-ites one people? How did their religious 
institutions keep them together? What were the unfavorable and dangerous ele- 



54 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

ments in the condition of Is'ra-el? How were they in danger from the native races? 
What was lacking in the government of Is'ra-el? What two tribes were in rivalry? 
What was the effect of this jealousy? What analogy is found in ancient history? 
How was the same principle illustrated in modern times? What evil tendency was 
manifested in Is'ra-el through nearly all its history? What causes are assigned 
for this tendency? What was the office of a judge in Is'ra-el? How were the judges 
appointed? What was their authority? How widely did their rule extend? 

III. The Oppressions and Deliverers, During these centuries the 
influences already named brought Is'ra-el many times under the 
domination of foreign power. The story was always the same : for- 
saking God, following idols, subjection, reformation, victory, and 
temporary prosperity. We notice the seven oppressions. Some of 
these were undoubtedly contemporaneous. 

1. The Mes-o-po-ta'mi-an Oppression (Judg. 3. 7-ii)- Probably 
this was over the southern portion, and the invaders came b}'- the 
east and around the Dead Sea, as earlier invaders from the same 
land had come (Gen. 14. 1-7). The deliverer was Oth^ni-el, the 
first judge, and the only judge of the tribe of Ju'dah. 

2. The Mo'ab-ite Oppression (Judg. 3. 12-30). Over the eastern 
and central section, including E'phra-im (verse 27) ; deliverer, 
E''hud, the second judge; battle fought at the ford of the river 
Jor'dan (verse 28). 

3. The Early Phi-Iis'tine Oppression (Judg. 3. 31). Over the 
southwest, on the frontier of Ju'dah; deliverer. Sham 'gar. 

4. The Ca'naan-ite Oppression (Judg. 4). Over the northern 
tribes; deliverer, Deb'o-rah, the woman judge; battle at Mount 
TanDor. 

5. The Mid'i-an-ite Oppression (Judg. 6. 1-6). Over the north- 
ern center, especially Ma-nas'seh, east; the most severe of all; 
deliverer, Gid'e-on, the greatest of the judges (Judg. 6. 11, 12); 
battle, on Mount Gil-bo'a (Judg. 7), followed by other victories 
(Judg. 8). 

6. The Am'mon-ite Oppression (Judg. 10. 7-9). Note an alliance 
between the Am'o-rites and Phi-lis'tines, which is suggestive; 
mainly over the tribes on the east of Jor'dan ; deliverer, Jeph'thah * 
(Judg. 11) ; victory at A-ro'er (verse 33). 

7. The Phi-Iis'tine Oppression (Judg. 13). This was the most 
protracted of all, for it extended, with intervals of freedom, for a 

1 With Jeph'thah is associated the only instance of human sacrifice offered to 
Je-ho'vah in all Bible history; and this was by an ignorant freebooter, in a part of 



The Age of the Heroes 55 

hundred years; embraced all the land, but was most heavily felt 
south of Mounts Car'mel and Gil-bo'a. The liberation was begun 
by Sam'son (Judg. 13. 5), but he was led astray by sensual lusts 
and became a failure^ Freedom was later won by Sam'u-el at the 
battle of Eb-en-e'zer (i Sam. 7. 7-14) ; but the oppression was 
renewed in the time of Saul, and became heavier than ever (i Sam. 
13. 17-20). Finally the yoke was broken by Da'vid, in a succession 
of victories, ending with the capture of Gath, the Phi-lis'tine cap- 
ital (2 Sam. 5. 17-25; I Chron. 18. i). 

Note with each oppression: i.) The oppressor. 2.) The section 
oppressed. 3.) The deliverer. 4.) The battlefield. 

IV. The General Aspects of the Period. 

1. It was an age of individuality* There was no strong govern- 
ment to oppress the people, to concentrate all the life of the nation 
at the court, and to repress individuality. Contrast Per'sia with 
Greece; Rome under the emperors with Rome as a republic. As 
men were needed they were raised up, for there was opportunity for 
character. Hence it was an age of heroes — Oth'ni-el, E'hud, Sham'- 
gar, Gid'e-on, Jeph'thah, Sam 'son, Sam'u-el, etc. Free institutions 
bring strong men to the front. 

2. It was an age of neglect of the law. During all this period 
there is no allusion to the law of Mouses. Its regulations were 
ignored, except so far as they belonged to the common law of con- 
science and right. The laws of Mouses were not deliberately dis- 
obeyed, but were ignorantly neglected. Even good men, as Gid'e-on 
and Sam'u-el, built altars andojEfered sacrifices (Judg. 6. 24; i Sam. 
7. 9) contrary to the letter of the law of Mouses, but obeying its 
spirit. 

3. Nevertheless, it was an age of progress. There were alternate 
advancements and retrogressions ; yet we see a people with energy, 
rising in spite of their hindrances. By degrees government became 
more settled (i Sam. 7. 15-17), foreign relations arose (i Sam. 7. 14; 
Ruth I. i), and the people began to look toward a more stable sys- 
tem (i Sam. 8, 4-6). 

the land farthest from the instructions of the tabernacle and the priesthood. When 
we consider that the practice of human sacrifice was universal in the ancient world, 
and that not only captives taken in war, but also the children of the worshipers, 
were offered (2 Kings 3. 26, 27; Mic. 6. 7), this fact is a remarkable evidence of the 
elevating power of the Is'ra-el-ite worship. 



56 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

Hints to the Teacher 

1. See that the outline is thoroughly committed to memory, and test the pupil's 
knowledge by calling upon him to read at sight the Blackboard Outline below. 

2. Draw on the board an outline map of Pal'es-tine, and indicate upon it in suc- 
cession the portions occupied in each of the oppressions. 

Blackboard Outline 



fi* 




^ 




I. 


Cond. Isr. J^av. i. Mtn. Loc. 2. Rac. Un. 


3. Rel. Ins. 






Unfav. I. Nat. Rac. i. Lac. 


Cent. Gov. 






3. Tri. Jeal. 4. Idol. Ten. 






II. 


Jtjd. Isr. I. Off. 2. App. 3. Auth. 4. Ext. 


Ru. 




III. 


0pp. and Deliv. 0pp. Sec. . Deliv, 


Bait. -fie. 


> 




I. Mes. Sou. Oth. 








2. Moab. Ea. cen. Ehu. 


For. Jor. 






3. Ea. Phil. So.-wes. Sham. 








4. Can. Nor. Deb. 


Mt. Tab. 






5. Mid. Nor, cen. Gid. 


Mt. Gil. 






6. Amm. East. Jeph. 


Aro. 






7. Phil. All. Sams.Saml.Eben. | 






Dav. 


Gath. 




IV. 


Gen. Asp. Per. i. Ind. 2. Neg. Law. 3. Prog. | 


> 


4 


: 


^ 



Review Questions 

What resulted from these evil tendencies in Is'ra-el? How many oppressors 
were there? Who were the first oppressors? Over what part of the country was 
the first oppression? Who delivered Is'ra-el from it? What was the second oppres- 
sion? What part of the country suffered from it? Who was the deliverer? Where 
was the battle fought? What was the third oppression, and where? Who delivered 
Is'ra-el? What was the fourth oppression? Where was it? Who was the deliverer? 
Where was the victory won? What was the fifth oppression? Over what part of 
the country was it? Who delivered Is'ra-el from it? What was the sixth oppres- 
sion? Over what part of the land was it? Who delivered from it? What was the 
last oppression? How did it differ from the others? What three names are asso- 
ciated in the deliverance from its power? What are the three general aspects of 
this period? 



NINTH STUDY 
The Rise of the Israelite Empire 

Part One 

The coronation of Saul marks an epoch in the history of Is'ra-el. 
From that point, for five hundred years, the chosen people were 
under the rule of kings. 

I. The Causes Leading to the Monarchy. The kingdom was not 
an accidental nor a sudden event. There had been a gradual prep- 
aration for it through all the period of the judges. 

1. Notice the tendency toward settled government. In the time 
of Gid'e-on the people desired him to become a king (Judg. 8. 
22, 23). His son attempted to make himself a king, but failed 
(Judg. 9). We find judges setting up a semi-royal state, and 
making marriages for their children outside of their tribe (Judg. 
12. 9, 13, 14) ; and associating their sons with themselves 
(Judg. 10. 4; I Sam. 8. i, 2). All these show a monarchical trend 
in the time. 

2. Another cause was the consolidation of the stirrottnding nations. 
In the days of the conquest there were few kings in the lands neigh- 
boring Pal'es-tine. We read of "lords" and "elders," butno kings, 
among the Phi-lis'tines, the Mo'ab-ites, the Am'mon-ites, and the 
Phce-ni'cians (Judg. 3. 3; i Sam. 5. 8; Num. 22. 7). But a wave of 
revolution swept over all those lands, and very soon we find that 
every nation around Is'ra-el had its king (i Sam. 21. 10; 12. 12; 22. 3; 
2 Sam. 5. 11). The movement of Is'ra-el toward monarchy was in 
accordance with this spirit. 

3. There was a danger of invasion, which impelled the Is'ra-el-ites 
to seek for a stronger government (i Sam. 12. 12). They felt them- 
selves weak, while other nations were organized for conquest, and 
desired a king for leader in war. 

4. Then, too, the rule of Sam'u-el led the Is'ra-el-ites to desire a 
better organization of the government. For a generation they had 
enjoyed the benefit of a wise, strong, and steady rule. They felt 



58 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

unwilling to risk the dangers of tribal dissension after the death of 
Sam'u-el, and therefore they sought for a king. 

5. But underlying all was the worldly ambition of the people. 
They were not willing to remain the people of God and work out a 
peculiar destiny. They wished to be like the nations around, to 
establish a secular state, to conquer an empire for themselves 
(i Sam 8. 5-20). It was this worldly spirit, whose results Sam'u-el 
saw, which made him unwilling to accede to the wish of the Is'ra- 
el-ites. But the very things against which he warned them (i Sam. 
8. 11-18) were just what they desired. 

n. The Character of the Is'ra-el-ite Kingdom, When men change 
their plans God changes his. He desired Is'ra-el to remain a 
republic, and not to enter into worldly relations and aims. When, 
however, the Is'ra-el-ites were determined God gave them a king 
(i Sam. 8. 22) ; but his rule was not to be like that of the nations 
around Is'ra-el. We ascertain the divine ideal of a kingdom for his 
chosen people: 

1. It was a theocratic kingdom. That is, it recognized God as the 
supreme ruler, and the king as his representative, to rule in accord- 
ance with his will, and not by his own right. Only as people and 
king conformed to this principle could the true aims of the kingdom 
be accomplished (i Sam. 12. 13-15). And if the king should deviate 
from this order he should lose his throne. Disobedience to the 
divine will caused the kingdom to pass from the family of Saul to 
that of Da'vid (i Sam. 13. 13, 14; 15. 26). 

2. It was a constitutional kingdom. The rights of the people were 
carefully guaranteed, and there was a written constitution (i Sam. 
10. 25). Nearly all the Oriental countries have always been gov- 
erned by absolute monarchs, but Is'ra-el was an exception to this 
rule. The people could demand their rights from Re-ho-bo'am 
(i Kings 12. 3, 4). A'hab could not take away nor even buy 
Na'both's vineyard against its owner's will (i Kings 21. 1-3). No 
doubt the rights of the people were often violated, but the violation 
was contrary to the spirit of the monarchy. 

3. It was regulated by the prophets. The order of prophets had a 
regular standing in the Is'ra-el-ite state. The prophet was a check 
upon the power of the king, as a representative both of God's 
will and the people's rights. He spoke not only of his own opin- 
ions, but by the authority of God. Notice instances of the boldness 



The Rise of the Israelite Empire 59 

of prophets in rebuking kings (i Sam. 15. 16-23; 2 Sam. 12. 1-7; 
I Kings 13. 1-6; 17. i; 22. 7-17). The order of prophets was like 
the House of Commons, between the king and the people. 

III. The Reign of SsluU 

1. This may be divided into two parts: i.) A period of pros- 
perity, during which Saul ruled well, and freed Is'ra-el from its 
oppressors on every side (i Sam. 14. 47, 48). 2.) Then q. period oj 
decline, in which SauPs kingdom seems to be falling in pieces, and 
only preserved by the prowess and ability of Da'vid. After 
DaVid's exile the Phi-lis'tines again overran Is'ra-el, and Saul's 
reign ended in defeat and death. 

2. We observe that Saul's reign was a failttre, and left the tribes in 
worse condition than it found them, i.) He failed in uniting the 
tribes; for tribal jealousies continued (i Sam. 10. 27), and at the 
close of his reign broke out anew in the establishment of rival 
thrones (2 Sam. 2. 4, 8, 9). 2.) He failed in making friends. He 
alienated Sam''u-el, and with him the order of prophets (i Sam. 
15- 35); he alienated Da'vid, the ablest young man of his age and 
the rising hope of Is'ra-el, and drove him into exile (i Sam. 21. 10) ; 
he alienated the entire order of the priests, and caused many of 
them to be massacred (i Sam. 22. 18). 3.) He failed to advance 
religion, left the tabernacle in ruins, left the ark in seclusion, 
broke up the service, and drove the priests whom he did not murder 
into exile (i Sam. 22. 20-23). 4.) He failed to liberate Is'ra-el; at 
his death the yoke of the Phi-lis'tines was more severe than ever 
before (i Sam. 31. 1-7). The most charitable view of Saul was that 
he was insane during the latter years of his life. The cause of his 
failure was a desire to reign as an absolute monarch, and an unwill- 
ingness to submit to the constitution of the realm. 

[For Blackboard Outline and Review Questions see end of the lesson.] 

Part Two 

IV. The Reign of Da'vid. This was a brilliant period; for it was 
led by a great man, in nearly every respect the greatest, after Mo''ses, 
in Is'ra-el-ite history. 

I. Notice the condition of Is'ra-el at his accession. This will throw 
into relief the greatness of his character and his achievements. 
I.) It wa.s a. subject people. Under Phi-lis'tine yoke ; its warriors 



60 



Outline Studies in the Old Testament 



slain, many of its cities deserted; Da'vid himself probably at first 
tributary to the king of Gath. 

2.) It was a disorganized people. The tribes were divided; 

national unity was lost ; 
and two thrones were 
set up, one at He^bron, 
the other at Ma-ha-na'- 
im (2 Sam. 2. 4-9). 

3.) It was a people 
without religion. The 
tabernacle was gone ; 
the ark was in neglect; 
there was no altar and 
no sacrifice ; the priests 
had been slain. 

We can scarcely im- 
agine Is'ra-el at a lower 
ebb than when DaVid 
was called to the 
throne. 

2. We ascertain Da'- 
vfd*s achievements, the 
results of his reign, i. ) 
He united the tribes. 
At first crowned king 
by Ju'dah only, later he 
was made king over all 
the tribes, by the desire 
of all (2 Sam. 5. 1-5). 
During his reig^n we 
find but little trace of 
the old feud between 
E'phra-im and Ju'dah, 
though it was not dead, 
and destined yet to rend the kingdom asunder. 

2.) He subjugated the land. The conquest of Pal'es-tine, left 
incomplete by Josh'u-a, and delayed for nearly three hundred years, 
was finished at last by DaVid in the capture of Je^bus, or Je-ru'sa- 
lem (2 Sam. 5. 6, 7), in the overthrow of the Phi-lis'tines (2 Sam. 5. 




The Rise of the Israelite Empire 61 

17-25), and in the final capture of their capital city (i Chron. 18. i). 
At last Is'ra-el was possessor of its own land. 

3.) He orga?iized the government. He established a capital 
(2 Sam. 5. 9). He built a palace (2 Sam. 5. 11); notice that the 
builders were from Tyre, showing that the Is'ra-el-ites- were not 
advanced in the arts. He established a system of government, 
with officers in the court and throughout the realm (i Chron. 27. 
25-34). Contrast all this with Saul, who ruled from his tent, like a 
Bed'ou-in sheik. 

4.) He established an army. There was a royal bodyguard, 
probably of foreigners, like that of many European kings in mod- 
em times (2 Sam. 8. 18; 15. 18). There was a band of heroes, like 
Arthur's Round Table (2 Sam. 23. 8-39). There was "the host," 
the available military force, divided into twelve divisions, one on 
duty each month (i Chron. 27. 1-15). 

5.) He established religion. No sooner was DaVid on the throne 
than he brought the ark out of its hiding place, and gave it a new 
home in his capital (i Chron. 16. i). The priesthood was organized, 
and divided into courses for the service of the tabernacle (i Chron. 
23. 27-32; 24. 1-19). He wrote many psalms, and caused others to 
be written, for the worship of God. Two prophets stood by his 
throne (i Chron. 29. 29), and two high priests stood by the altar 
(I Chron. 24. 3). This organization and uplifting of the public wor- 
ship had a great effect upon the kingdom. 

6.) He conquered all the stirroti7iding nations. These wars 
were largely forced upon DaVid by the jealousy of the neighboring 
kingdoms. In turn his armies conquered and annexed to his 
dominions the land of the Phi-lis'tines (i Chron. 18. i), Mo'ab (2 Sam. 
8. 2), Syr'i-a, even to the great river Eu-phra'tes .(2 Sam. 8. 3-6); 
E'dom (2 Sam. 8. 14), Am'mon, and the country east of PaFes-tine 
(2 Sam. 10. 1-14; 12. 26-31). The empire of DaVid thiis extended 
from the frontier of E'gypt to the Eu-phra'tes River, fulfilling the 
promise of Josh. i. 4. It was at least six times the area of the 
twelve tribes. 

7.) We may add that he reigned as a theocratic kiftg. He real- 
ized more than any other monarch the divine ideal of a ruler, and so 
was "the man after God's own heart" (i Sam. 13. 14); if not alto- 
gether in personal character, yet in the principles of his government. 
He respected the rights of his subjects, had a sympathy for all 



62 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

people, obeyed the voice of the prophets, and sought the interests of 
God's cause. ' 

Blackboard Outline 



I. 


— — 

Ca«. Lea. Men. i. Ten. tow. set. gov. 2. Con. sur. nat. 




3. Dan. inv. 4. Ru. Sam. 5. Wor. am. peo. 


II. 


Char. Isr. Kin. i. Theo. kin. 2. Cons. kin. 3. Reg. 




by pro. 


III. 


Rei. Saw. i. Pros, and dec. 2. Fai. i.) Un. tri. 2.) 




Mak. fri. 3.) Adv. rel. 4.) Lib. Isr. 


IV. 


Rei. Dav. i. Con. Isr. ace. i.) Sub. 2.) Dis. 3.) Wit. rel. 




2. Dav. achiev. i.) Uni. tri. 2.) Sub. la. 3.) Org. 




gov. 4.) Est. ar. 5.) Est. rel. 6.) Conq. surr. nat. 




7.) Rei. theo. kin. 


^'^ 





Questions for Review 

What event marks an epoch in Is'ra-el-ite history? What were the causes lead- 
ing to the monarchy? What events in the period of the iudges show a tendency 
toward settled government? What changes in government in the surrounding 
nations helped to bring on the monarchy in Is'ra-el? From what source did external 
danger lead the Is'ra-el-ites to desire a king? How had Sam'u-el unconsciously 
helped to prepare the way for a kingdom? What worldly spirit promoted the same 
result? What kind of a kingdom did God intend for Is'ra-el? What is a theocratic 
kingdom? Wherein was Is'ra-el an exception among Oriental kingdoms? By 
what institvitions was the kingdom regulated? Name some instances of prophets 
rebuking kings. Into what two parts may Saul's reign be divided? Wherein was 
Saul a failure? How did he fail in gaining and holding- friends? What was the 
condition of Is'ra-el when Da'vid came to the throne? What were the achievements 
of Da'vid? What great incomplete work did Da'vid finish? What did he do in the 
organization of his kingdom? What was the arrangement of his army? What were 
his services -to the cause of religion? What nations did he conquer? What was the 
extent of his empire? In what spirit did he rule? 

' With regard to Da'vid's crimes against U-ri'ah and his wife, note that no other 
ancient monarch would have hesitated to commit such an act, or would have cared 
for it afterward; while Da'vid submitted to the prophet's rebuke, publicly con- 
fessed his sin, and showed every token of a true repentance. 



TENTH STUDY 
The Reign of Solomon 

Part One 
The reign of Sol'o-mon may be regarded as the culminating period 
in the history of Is'ra-el. But, strictly speaking, the latter part of 
DaVid's reign and only the former part of Sol'o-mon's constitute 
"the golden age of Is'ra-el"; for SoFo-mon's later years mani- 
fested a decline, which after his death rapidly grew to a fall. 

I. Soro-mon's Empire embraced all the lands from the Red Sea to 
the Eu-phra'tes, and from the Med-i-ter-ra'ne-an to the Syr'i-an 
desert, except Phce-ni''cia, which was isolated by the Leb'a-non 
mountains, i. Besides Pal'es-tine, he ruled over E'dom, Mo'ab, 
Am'mon, Syr'i-a (here referring to the district having Da-mas'cus as 
its capital), Zo'bah, and Ha'math. 2. On the Gulf of Ak'a-ba, 
E'zi-on-ge'ber was his southern port (i Kings 9. 26) ; on the Med-i- 
ter-ra'ne-an, Ga'za (Az'zah) was his limit; in the extreme north, 
Tiph'sah, by the Eu-phra'tes (i Kings 4. 24) ; in the desert, Tad'mor, 
afterward Pal-my'ra (i Kings 9. 18). 

II. His Foreign Relations were extensive, for the first and only time 
in the history of Is'ra-el. i. His earliest treaty was with Tyre 
(Phce-ni^cia) , whose king had been his father's friend (i Kings 5. i). 
(What this alliance brought to SoFo-mon see i Kings 5. 6-10; 
2 Chron. 2. 3-14.) 2. His relations with E'gypt: in commerce 
(i Kings 10. 28, 29) ; in marriage, a bold departure from Is'ra-el-ite 
customs (i Kings 3. i). Perhaps Psalm 45 was written tipon this 
event. 3. With A-ra'bi-a, the land bordering on the southern end 
of the Red Sea (i Kings 10. i-io, 14, 15). 4. With the Far East, 
perhaps India, referred to in i Kings 9. 21-28. 5. With the West, 
perhaps as far as Spain, the Tar'shish of i Kings 10. 22. 

III. His Buildings* No king of Is'ra-el ever built so many and so 
great public works as did Sol'o-mon. Among these are named : 

1. The temple, on Mount Mo-ri'ah, to be described later. 

2. His own palace, south of the temple precincts, on the slope of 




PLAN OF SOLOMON'S PALACE. 

(According to Stade.) 
"Reprinted from Kent's History of the Hebrew People, from the Settlement in Canaan 
to the Division of the Kingdom. Copj'righted, 1896, by Charles Scribner's Sons." 



The Reign of Solomon 65 

O'phel and Mo-ri'ah. This consisted of several buildings, as follows : 
I.) The House of the Forest of Leb'a-non, so called because of its 
many columns of cedar; this was the forecourt, or entrance. 
2.) The Porch to the Palace. 3.) The Throne Hall. 4.) The 
King's Palace. 5,) The Queen's Palace, or Harem. 

3. His fortified cities, forming a cordon around his kingdom. 
(See the lists of these in i Kings 9. 17-19.) 

4. His aqueducts, some of which may still be seen (Eccl. 2. 4-6). 
IV. But all was not bright in the reign of Sol'o-mon. We must 

notice also His Sins, for they wrought great results of evil in the after 
years, i. That which led to all his other sins was his foreign 
marriages (i Kings 11. 1-4). These were the natural and inevi- 
table results of his foreign relations, and were probably effected for 
political reasons as well as to add to the splendor of his court. 
2. His toleration of idolatry, perhaps actual participation in it 
(i Kings II. 5-8). We cannot overestimate the harm of SoFo-mon's 
influence in this direction. At once it allied him with the lower and 
evil elements in the nation, and lost to him the sympathy of all the 
earnest souls. ^ 3. Another of Sol^o-mon's sins, not named in Scrip- 
ture, but referred to in many legends of the East, may have been a 
devotion to magical arts. He appears in Oriental traditions as the 
great master of forces in the invisible world, engaging in practices 
forbidden by the law of Mo''ses (Lev. 19. 31 ; Deut. 18. 10, 11). 

Blackboard Outline 



^ — 
I. 


Sol. Emp, Pal. Ed. Mo. Amm. Syr. Zob. Ham. E.-G. 




G. T. T. 


H. 


For. Rel. Ty. Eg. Ar. F. E. W. 


HI. 


Btiil. I. Tem. 2. Pal. i.) H. F. L. 2.) P. 3.) T. H. 




4.)K. R 5.)Q-R 


IV. 


Sins. I- For. mar. 2. Tol. idol. 3. Mag. 


► \ 





Review Qttestions 

What is the reign of Sol'o-mon called? How far is that a correct title? "What 
lands were included in Sol'o-mon's empire? What cities were on its boundaries? 
With what countries did Sol'o-mon have treaties and foreign relations? How 
was Sol'o-mon connected with the court of E'g>'pt? What were some of Sol'o-mon's 
buildings? Name the various parts of his palace. What were the sins of Sol'o-mon? 

* Notice that while the prophets had been friendly to Da'vid, they were strongly 
opposed to Sol'o-mon, and gave aid to his enemy Jer-o-bo'am (i Kings ii. 29-39). 



QG Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

Part Two 

V. General Aspects of Is'ra-el in the Reign of Sofo-mon. 

1. It was a period of peace. For sixty years there were no wars. 
This gave opportunity for development, for wealth, and for 
culture. 

2. It was a period of strong government. The age of individual 
and tribal euerg)^ was ended, and now all the life of the nation was 
gathered around the throne. All the tribes were held under one 
strong hand; tribal lines were ignored in the government of the 
empire ; every department was organized. 

3. It was a period of wide empire. It was Is'ra-el's opportunity for 
power in the East; for the old Chal-de'an empire had broken up, the 
new As-syr'i-an empire had not arisen, and E'gypt was passing 
through a change of rulers and was weak. For one generation Is'- 
ra-el held the supremacy in the Oriental w^orld. 

4. It was a period of abundant wealth (i Kings 3. 12, 13; 4. 20; 
10. 23, 27). The sources of this wealth were: i.) The cong'ites^s oi. 
Da'vid, who had plundered many nations and left his accumulated 
riches to Sol'o-mon (i .Chron. 22. 14-16). 2.) The tribute of the sub- 
ject kingdoms, doubtless heavy (i Kings 10. 25). 3.) Coin7iierce with 
foreign countries (E^gypt, A-ra'bi-a, Tar^shish, and O'phir.) in ancient 
times was not carried on by private enterprise, but by the govern- 
ment. The trade of the East from E'gypt and Tyre passed through 
SoFo-mon's dominions, enriching the land. 4.) There w^ere also 
taxes laid upon the people (i Kings 4. 7-19 ; 12. 4). 5. ) The erection of 
public buildings must have enriched many private citizens and 
made money plenty. 

5- It was a period of literary activity. The books written during 
this epoch were Sam'u-el, Psalms (in part), Prov'erbs (in part), and 
perhaps Ec-cle-si-as'tes and SoFo-mon's Song. Not all the writings 
of SoFo-mon have been preserved (i Kings 4. 32, 33). 

VI. Dangers of the Period. There w-as an A-ra''bi-an tradition 
that in SoFo-mon's staff, on which he leaned, there w^as a worm 
secretly gnawing it asunder. So there were elements of destruction 
under all the splendor of SoFo-mon's throne. 

I. The absolute power of the king. DaVid had maintained the 
theocratic constitution of the state ; SoFo-mon set it aside and ruled 
with absolute power in all departments. He assumed priestly func- 
tions (i Kings 8. 22, 54, 64) ; he abolished tribal boundaries in his 



The Reign of Solomon 67 

administration (i Kings 4. 7-19); he ignored both priests and proph- 
ets, and concentrated all rule in his own person. 

2. The formal character of the worship. There was a magnificent 
temple and a gorgeous ritual, but none of the warmth and personal 
devotion which characterized the worship of Da'vid. The fervor of 
the Da-vid'ic Psalms is wanting in the literature of Sol'o-mon's age. 

3. Lttxory and corraption of morals. These are the inevitable 
results of abundant riches and worldly association. We do not need 
the warnings of Prov. 2. 16-19; 5- 3-6. etc., to know what a flood of 
immorality swept over Je-ru'sa-lem and Is'ra-el. 

4. The burden of taxation. With a splendid court, an immense 
harem, and a wealthy nobility came high prices and high taxes; the 
rich growing richer rapidly, the poor becoming poorer. The events 
of the next reign show how heavy and unendurable these burdens 
grew. 

5. Heathen ctistoms. With the foreign peoples came the toleration 
of idolatry, its encouragement, and all the abominations connected 
\vith it. Jer-o-bo'am could not have established his new religion 
(I Kings 12. 28) if Sol'o-mon had not already patronized idol worship. 

6. Underlying all was the old tribal jealotisy of E'phra-im and 
Ju'dah, fostered by an able leader (i Kings 12. 26), ready to break 
out in due time and destroy the empire. 

Blackboard Outline 



V. Gen. Asp. Isr. i. Pea. 2. Str. gov. 3. Wi. emp. 
4. Abun. weal, i.) Conq. 2.) Trib. 3.) Com. 4.) Tax. 
5.) Pub. build. 5. Lit. act. 
VI. Dan. Per. i. Abs. pow. 2. For. wor. 3. Lux. cor. mor. 
4. Bur. tax. 5. Hea. cus. 6. Tri. jeal. 



Questions for Review 

Name five general aspects of Is'ra-el in Sol'o-mon's reign? What were the bene- 
fits of the peace at that time? What was the characteristic of Sol'o-mon's admin- 
istration? What opportunity did the age give to a great empire for Is'ra-el? What 
were the sources of the wealth in Sol'o-mon's age? How was it a period of literary 
activity? What ancient legend illustrates the dangers of Sol'o-mon's age? What 
were some of the dangers? Wherein did Sol'o-mon set aside the Is'ra-el -ite con- 



68 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

stitution? What was the defect in the religion of Sol'o-mon's time? What evils 
resulted from the wealth of that time? What caused heavy taxation? What 
heathen customs were introduced? What showed that tribal jealousy was still 
existing? 

Hints to the Teacher and Qass 

1. See that the outline of the lesson is learned, with all its divisions and sub- 
divisions. Let a scholar place each division of the outline on the blackboard in the 
form given in the Blackboard Outline, and then let another scholar read it to the 
class. 

2. Have a map of SoFo-mon's empire drawn, with each of the subject lands 
shown upon it. "Bound" the empi're; that is, name the countries surrounding it. 

3. Let the diagram of buildings on Mount Mo-ri'ah and O'phel be drawn by one 
pupil, and explained by another. 

4. Let the Review Questions be studied until they can be answered correctly. 



ELEVENTH STUDY 
The Temple on Mownt Moriah 



The most famous of all the buildings erected by Sol'o-mon, though 
by no means the largest, was the temple. It is so frequently men- 
tioned in the Bible, and was so closely connected with the religious 
and secular history, both in the Old Testament and the New, that a 
detailed study of it is needed. 

I. The Three Temples. All these stood in succession upon the same 
site, and were arranged upon the same general plan. 

1. Sol'D-morCs Temple, Built about B, C. 970, and standing until 
B. C. 587, when it was destroyed by the Bab-y-lo'ni-ans (2 Kings 25. 

8,9). 

2. Ze-rub'ba-beTs Temple. After lying desolate more than fifty 
years the second temple was begun about B. C. 534, under Ze-rub'- 
ba-bel, the ruler of the exiles returned from Bab'y-lon (Ezra 3. 8). 
This temple was far inferior in splendor to the first, but soon became 
the object of pilgrimage to Jews from all lands and the center of 
Jew'ish national and religious life. 

3. Her'od's Temple. The second temple having become dilapi- 
dated, Her'od the Great undertook its 
restoration on a magnificent scale. 
The work was begun about B. C. 20 
and was not completed until A. D. 64. 
In the lifetime of Je''sus it was not yet 
finished (John 2. 20). This temple was 
destroyed by the Rodmans under Ti'- 
tus, A. D. 70. Its site is now occupied 
partially by the Dome of the Rock, 
miscalled the Mosque of O'mar, in 
Je-ru'sa-lem. 

II. The Situation. The city of Je- 
ru'sa-lem stood upon hills separated 
by three valleys radiating in a fanlike order, from a point at 



i ■■■■ - I^Bi^&?>iB^EmS: 



mm 









^ ■'"^^M^s mm 



^.^ 









70 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

the southeast. Northward runs the valley of the Kid'ron; north- 
west the valley of the Ty-ro'poe-on, now almost obliterated ; almost 
westward, with a curve northward, the valley of Hin'nom. Between 
the valley of the Kid'ron and the valley of the Ty-ro'poe-on were 
two hills — on the north Mount Mo-ri'ah, and a little to the south a 
spur of lower elevation known as O'phel. On Mount Mo-ri'ah stood 
the temple, on O'phel the buildings of Sol'o-mon's palace. Later 
the temple area was enlarged to include both these hills. West 
of Mo-ri'ah, across the Ty-ro^poe-on valley, was Mount Zi'on, upon 
which the principal part of the city stood. 

III. The Hottse of the Lord. This was a building not large, but 
magnificent and costly ; made of stone and cedar, and decorated 
lavishly with gold and precious stones. It consisted of four parts : 

1. The Porch, a lofty tower facing the east. Two pillars, either 
in the tower at the entrance or standing apart before it, are named 
(i Kings 7. 21). The interior dimensions of the porch were about 
30 feet from north to south, and 15 feet east and west^ (i Kings 6. 3). 

2. The Holy Place was west of the porch, and was a chamber 60 
feet long by 30 wide, and perhaps 30 feet high. In it stood, on the 
north, the table for "the showbread" — that is, the twelve loaves 
shown before the Lord; on the south, the golden candlestick, or 
lampstand^; and at the western end the golden altar of incense. 

3. The Holy of Holies, or '-the oracle" (i Kings 6. 19, 20), was 
a cube, each dimension being 30 feet. It had no windows, but. 
received a dim light through the veil which separated it from 
the adjoining room. This place was entered by the high priest only, 
and on but one day in the year, the day of atonement. The only 
article of furniture in the room was the Ark of the Covenant, con- 
taining the two stone tables of the law. The Ark doubtless was 
destroyed with the first temple, and in the second and third temples 
its place was indicated by a marble block, upon which the blood was 
sprinkled. 

^ The dimensions as given in the Bible are all in cubits, a measure of uncertain 
length, which I have estimated at eighteen inches; consequently all the figures 
given in this study are to be regarded as approximate, not exact. 

2 There is no mention of either the table or the candlestick in Sol'o-mon's temple, 
but instead ten tables and ten candlesticks in the Holy Place (2 Chron. 4. 7, 8). 
The table and candlestick were in the tabernacle, and were also in the second and 
third temples; but it is uncertain whether they actually stood in the temple of 
Sol'o-mon. 



The Temple on Mount Moriah 



71 



4. The Chambers were rooms for the priests, situated around the 
house, with entrance from without. They were in three stories, and 



' 






THE TEMPLE 


THE TOWER OF ANTONIA 


1 f. ^2}'.^it9JSh\ejl Gate 1 


Gate 


/ 

Gjxte' 






COURT 
OF THE WOMEN 


1 CHAMBERSj^ ^^^^^ 




cc 





! COURT OF THE 
! PRIESTS 






1 CHEL OR SACRED INCLOSURE 


i 1 


\ SI 

.'Q-l 


i COURT OF THE GENTILES jzl^ 


Gate fl/o 

' lis 

1<^I ^ 


j Underground ; 1 W 

j Entrance ^ __ . . _ . ' 1 "^ 

^Bridge ^^pob'S PORCH | b. 


>• 
U 


OPHEL J 

< 
> 

, . 



were set apart for the residence of the priests while employed in the 
services of the temple. Each priest served two weeks in the year; 
not, however, two weeks in succession, but six months apart, and 
lived at his home for the rest of the time. In similar chambers 
around the old tabernacle Eli and Sam'u-el slept (i Sam. 3. 2, 3). 



72 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

IV. The Court of the Priests was an open, unroofed quadrangle 
surrounding the House of the Lord, but mainly in front, toward the 
east. It was about 200 feet wide, north and south, by 275 feet long, 
east and west, a few feet lower in elevation than the floor of the tem- 
ple proper. Here stood the great Altar of Burnt Offering, upon 
which the daily sacrifice was offered, its site now shown under the 
Dome of the Rock ; and near the door to the house the Laver for 
washing the sacrifices. Sol'o-mon built also a great ''Sea,'' or reser- 
voir of water, standing on the backs of twelve oxen, all of "brass," 
probably copper (i Kings 7. 23-26). This was broken up by the 
Bab-y-lo'ni-ans, B. C. 587 (2 Kings 25. 13), and was not replaced in 
the later temples. 

V. Around the Court of the Priests was another and larger corridor, 
the Court of Is'ra-el, or " the men's court." In the later temples this 
was 320 by 240 feet in dimensions, 26 feet wide on the north and 
south, 24 feet wide on the east and west. The size of this court in 
Sol'o-mon's temple is not given, but was probably the same as in 
later times. This was the standing place of the worshipers (exclu- 
sively men) as they witnessed the service. 

VI. These were the only courts around the first temple, as the 
space to the south of the last-named court was occupied by Sol'o- 
mon's palaces, from which a magnificent flight of steps ascended to 
the temple area (i Kings 10. 5) . After these buildings were destroyed 
the latest temple, that of Her'od, included their site in additional 
courts and buildings for the worship. East of the Court of Is'ra-el, 
and a little lower, stood the Court of the Women, 200 feet square, 
having a lattice gallery on the western side, from which the women 
could look on the services of the altar. This court was also called 
"the Treasury" (John 8. 20) from the gift boxes fastened upon the 
wall (Mark 12. 41, 42). In each comer of this court was a room said 
to be 60 feet square, with an open roof. 

VII. Around all these buildings and courts, with Her'od's temple, 
but not with Sol'o-mon's, was the Court of the Gen'tiles, an irregular 
quadrangle of about 1,000 feet on each side (north 990, east 1,000, south 
960, west 1,060). The wall on the east was surmounted by a 
double row of columns, and called Sol'o-mon's Porch (John 10. 23 ; 
Acts 3. 12). The " Beautiful Gate" was from the Court of the Gen'- 
tiles to the eastern side of the Court of the Women (Acts 3. i), 
through which the people passed on their way to the public worship. 



The Temple on Mount Moriah 73 

The narrow corridor extending entirely around the Court of the 
Women and the Court of Is'ra-el was called " Chel " — that is, the 
sacred inclosure — and no one except an Is'ra-el-ite was permitted to 
enter it. The Court of the Gen'tiles was not regarded by the Jews 
as sacred, since foreigners were allowed within it, and in its area had 
grown up a market for the sale of animals for sacrifice and tables 
for the exchanging of foreign money. Twice this court was purged 
of these desecrations by Je'sus (John 2. 13-17; Matt. 21. 12, 13). 

The principal access to the temple in the time of Christ was a 
bridge over the Ty-ro'pce-on valley from Mount Zi'on. Of this bridge 
a fragment of one arch still remains, known as " Rob'in-son's Arch." 

The immediate surroundings of the temple, in the New Testament 
period, were the following: i. On the north stood the Castle or 
Tower of An-to'ni-a, erected by the Rodmans for the control of 
the temple area. 2. On the east was the valley of the Kid'ron. 
3. On the south and west lay the curving valley of the Ty-ro'poe-on. 

Blackboard Oatlinc 



►+- 



I. Thr.Tcm. I. Sol. 970-587. 2. Zer. 534. 3. Her. B. C. 20. 

A. D. 70. 
II. Situa. Vail. Kid. Tyr. Hin. Mts. Mor. Oph. Zi. 

III. HotJ. Lor. I. Por. 30x15. 2. H. P. 30x60. 3. H. H. 30x30. 

4. Chamb. 

IV. Coti. Pri. 200x275. Alt. Lav. "Sea," 
V. Cou. Isr. 240x320. 

VI. Coa. "Worn. 200x200. "Treas." Rooms. 
VII. Coa. Gen. 1,000. "Chel." Market. Bridge. 



-^ 



Hints to the Teacher and the Class 

Let each pupil in turn draw on the blackboard one of the departments or courts 
of the temple, state its dimensions, and explain its uses. 

Let a pupil recite the history of each temple. 

Let one pupil state in what parts of the temple Je'sus walked and taught, and 
another events in the life of Saint Paul connected with the temple. 

Review Qtiestions 

Who built the first temple, how long did it stand, and by whom was it destroyed? 
Who built the second temple, and at what time? Who built the third temple? 
When was it begun, finished, and destroyed? Wh?..t building now ataada oa the 



74 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

site of the temple? Between what three valleys was Je-ru'sa-lem situated? Give 
a description of each valley. Where w^re Mo-ri'ah. O'phel. and Zi'on located? 
Into what four parts was the "House of the Lord," or temple proper, divided? 
What were the dimensions and what was the location of the Porch? Describe 
the Holy Place and its contents. Describe the Holy of Holies. What took the 
place of the Ark in the later temples? What were the Chambers, and where were 
they situated? Where was the Court of the Priests? What were its dimensions? 
What stood in this court? Where was the Court of Is'ra-el? What were its dimen- 
sions and uses? What stood outside the Court of Is'ra-el adjoining Sol'o-mon's 
temple? Where was the Court of the Women in the latest temple? Describe this 
court and its uses? What was the exterior court to the temple in the time of 
Christ? What were the dimensions of this court? Where was the "Beautiful 
Gate"? Where was the "Chel"? Where was Sol'o-mon's Porch? How was this 
court used by the Jews? What did Je'sus do in this court? What was the principal 
means of access to the temple? What were the immediate stirroundings of the 
temple ? 



TWELFTH STUDY 
* The Kingdom of Israel 

Part One 

The splendors of Soro-mon's reign passed away even more sud- 
denly than they arose. In less than a year after his death his 
empire was broken up, and two quarreling principalities were all 
that was left of Is'ra-el. 

I. Let us ascertain the Caascs of the Division of Is'ra-el, These 
were : 

1. The oppressive government of Sot'o-mon (i Kings 12. 3, 4). 
How far the complaints of the people were just, and to what degree 
they were the pretexts of an ambitious demagogue, we have no 
means of knowing. But it is evident that the government of Sol'o- 
mon, with its courts, its palaces, its buildings, and its splendor, must 
have borne heavily upon the people. Probably, also, the luxury of 
living among the upper classes, so suddenly introduced, led to 
financial crises and stringency of money, for which the government 
was held responsible by the discontented people. 

2. The opposition of the prophets (i Kings 11. 11-13, 29-33). It 
is a suggestive fact that the prophets were opposed to Sol'o-mon 
and friendly to Jer-o-.bo'am. Their reason was a strong resentment 
to the foreign alliances, foreign customs, and especially to the 
foreign idolatries which Sol'o-mon introduced. 

3. Foreign intrigues, especially in E'gypt. The old kingdoms were 
not friendly to this Is'ra-el-ite empire, which loomed up so suddenly, 
and threatened to conquer all the East. SoFo-mon's attempt to win 
the favor of E'gypt by a royal marriage (i Kings 3. i) was a failure, 
for two enemies of Sol'o-mon, driven out of his dominions, found 
refuge in E'gypt, were admitted to the court, married relatives of 
the king, and stirred up conspiracies against Soro-mon's throne 
(i Kings II. 14-22, 40). Another center of conspiracy was Da-mas'- 
cus, where Re'zon kept up a semi-independent relation to Solo- 
mon's empire (i Kings 11. 23-25). 



76 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

4. Tribal jealousy ; the old sore broken out again. Notice that 
Jer-o-bo'am belonged to the haughty tribe of E'phra-im (i Kings 

11. 26), always envious of Ju'dah, and restless under the throne of 
Da'vid. The kingdom of the ten tribes was established mainly 
through the influence of this tribe. 

5. The ambition of Jer-o-bo'am was another force in the disruption. 
It was unfortunate for SoFo-mon's kingdom that the ablest young 
man of that time in Is'ra-el, a wily political leader and an un- 
scrupulous partisan, belonged to the tribe of E'phra-im, and from his 
environment was an enemy of the then existing government. The 
fact that he was sent for from E'gypt to the assembly at She'chem 
showed collusion and preparation of the scheme (i Kings 12. 2. 3). 

6. But all these causes might have been insufficient but for the 
folly of Re-ho-bo'am (i Kings 12. 13, 14). If DaVid had been on the 
throne that day an empire might have been saved. But Re-ho-bo'am, 
brought up in the purple, was without sympathy with the people, 
tried to act the part of a tyrant, and lost his ancestral realm (i Kings 

12. 16), 

II. The Resalts of the Division, These were partly political, 
partly religious, and were neither of unmixed good nor unmixed evil. 

1. The political results were: i.) The entire disruption of Sol'o- 
mon's empire. Five kingdoms took the place of one: Syr'i-a on the 
north, Is'ra-el in the center, Ju'dah west of the Dead Sea, Mo'ab 
east of the Dead Sea, and E'dom on the extreme south. Mo'ab was 
nominally subject to Is'ra-el, and E'dom to Ju'dah; but only strong 
kings, like A'hab in Is'ra-el and Je-hosh'a-phat in Ju'dah, could exact 
the tribute (2 Kings 3. 4; i Kings 22. 47). 2.) With the loss of 
empire came rivalry, and consequent weakness. For fifty years 
Is'ra-el and Ju'dah were at war, and spent their strength in civil 
strife, while Syr'i-a was growing powerful, and in the far northeast 
As-syr'i-a was threatening. 3,) As a natural result came at last 
foreign domination. Both Is'ra-el and Ju'dah fell under the 
power of other nations and were swept into captivity, as the final 
result of the disruption wrought by Jer-o-bo'am. 

2. The religious results of the division were more favorable. They 
were: i.) Preservation of the true religion. A great empire would 
inevitably have been the spiritual ruin of Is'ra-el, for it must have 
been worldly, secular, and, in the end, idolatrous. The disruption 
broke off relation with the world, put an end to schemes of secular 



The Kingdom of Israel 77 

empire, and placed Is'ra-el and Ju'dah once more alone among their 
mountains. In this sense the event was from the Lord, who had 
higher and more enduring purposes than an earthly empire (i Kings 
12. 15-24). 2.) Protection of the true religion. Is'ra-el on the north 
stood as a " buffer," warding off the world from Ju'dah on the south. 
It was neither wholly idolatrous nor wholly religious, but was a 
debatable land for centuries. It fell at last, but it saved Ju'dah ; and 
in Ju'dah was the unconscious hope of the world. 3.) Concentration 
of the true religiofi. The departure of Is'ra-el from the true faith 
led to the gathering of the priests, LeVites, and worshiping element 
of the people in Ju'dah (2 Chron. 11. 13-16). Thus the Jew'ish king- 
dom was far more devoted to Je-ho'vah than it might otherwise have 
been. 

Blackboard Otitline 
;. 



I. Ca«. Div. I. Opp. gov. 2. Opp, pro. 3. For. int. 4. Tri. 

jeal. 5. Am. Jer. 6. Fol. Re. 
II. Res. Div. I- Pol. res. i.) Dis. emp. 2.) Riv. and weak. 
3.) For. dom. 

2. Rel. res. i.) Pres. rel. 2.) Pro. rel. 3.) Cone. rel. 



Review Questions 

What causes may be assigned for the division of Is'ra-el? How. far was Sol'o- 
mon's government responsible? What was the relation of the prophets to the 
revolution? What foreign intrigues contributed to break up the kingdom? Who 
were connected with these intrigues? What ancient jealousy aided, and how? 
What man led in the breaking up of the kingdom? Whose folly enabled the plot 
to succeed ? What were the political results of the division ? What were its religious 
results? How was this event from the Lord? 

Part Two 

III. The Kingdom of Is'ra-el. From the division the name Is'ra-el 
was applied to the northern kingdom send Ju'dah to the southern. 
We notice the general aspects of Is'ra-el during its history, from 
B. C. 934 to 721. 

I. Its extent. It embraced all the territory of the twelve tribes 
except Ju'dah and a part of Ben'ja-min (i Kings 12, 19-21), held a 
nominal supremacy over Mo'ab east of the Dead Sea, and embraced 
about 9,375 square miles, while Ju'dah included only 3,435. Is'ra-el 
was about equal in area to Massachusetts and Rhode Island together. 



78 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

2. Its capital was first at She'chem, in the center of the land 
(i Kings 12. 25); then, during several reigns, at Tir'zah (i Kings 
15- 33 ; 16.23); then at Sa-ma'ri-a (i Kings 16. 24), where it remained 
until the end of the kingdom. That city after a time gave its name 
to the kingdom (i Kings 21. i), and after the fall of the kingdom to 
the province in the center of Pal'es-tine (John 4. 3, 4). 

3. Its religion, i. ) Very soon after the institution of the new king- 
dom Jer-o-bo'am established a national religion, the worship of the 
calves (i Kings 12. 26-33). This was not a new form of worship, 
but had been maintained in Is'ra-el ever since the exodus (Exod. 
32. 1-4). In character it was a modified idolatry, halfway between 
the pure religion and the abominations of the heathen. 2.) A'hab 
and his house introduced the Phoe-ni'cian worship of Ba'al, an 
idolatry of the most abominable and immoral sort (i Kings 16. 
30-33), but it never gained control in Is'ra-el, and was doubtless one 
cause of the revolution which placed another family on the throne. 
3.) Through the history of Is'ra-el there remained a remnant of 
worshipers of fe-ho'vah, who were watched over by a noble array of 
prophets, and though often persecuted remained faithful (i Kings 
19. 14, 18). 

4. Its ralers. During two hundred and fifty years Is'ra-el was 
governed by nineteen kings, with intervals of anarchy. Five houses 
in turn held sway, each established by a usurper, generally a soldier, 
and each dynasty ending in a murder. 

I.) The House of Jer-o-bo'am, with two kings, followed by a gen- 
eral massacre of Jer-o-bo'am's family (i Kings 15. 29, 30). 

2.) The Ho2ise of Ba'a-sha, two kings, followed by a civil war 
(i Kings 16. 16-22). 

3.) The House of Oin'ri, four kings, of whom Om'ri and A'hab 
were the most powerful. This was the age of the prophet E-li'jah 
and the great struggle between the worship of Je-hoVah and of Ba'al 
(i Kings 18. 4-21). 

4. ) The House of fe'hu, five kings, under whom were great changes 
of fortune. The reign of Je-ho'a-haz saw Is'ra-el reduced to a mere 
province of Syr'i-a (2 Kings 13. 1-9). His son Jo'ash threw off the 
Syr'i-an yoke, and his son, Jer-o-bo'am II, raised Is'ra-el almost to its 
condition of empire in the days of Sol'o-mon (2 Kings 14. 23-29). 
His reign is called "the Indian summer of Is'ra-el." 

5.) The House of Men'a-hem, two reigns. Is'ra-el had by this 



The Kingdom of Israel ' tO 

time fallen under the power of As-syr'i-a, now dominant over the 
East, and its history is the story of kings rising and falling in rapid 
succession, with long intervals of anarchy. From the fall of this 
dynasty there was only the semblance of a state until the final 
destruction of Sa-ma'ri^a, B. C. 721. 

5. Its foreign relations. During the period of the Is'ra-el-ite king- 
dom we see lands struggling for the dominion of the East. The 
history of Is'ra-el is interwoven with that of Syr'i-a and As-syr'i-a, 
which may now be read from the monuments. 

I'.) There was a Period of Division. During the reign of the 
houses of Jer-o-bo'am and Ba'a-sha there were constant wars between 
Is'ra-el, Syr'i-a, and Ju'dah; and as a result all were kept weak, and 
"a balance of power" was maintained. 

2.) Then followed a Period of Alliatice — that is, between Is'ra-el 
and Ju'dah, during the sway of the House of Om'ri. The two lands 
were in friendly relations, a*nd the two thrones were connected by 
marriages. As a result both Is'ra-el and Ju'dah were strong, Mo'ab 
and E'dom were kept under control, and Syr'i-a was held in check. 

3.) Next came the Period of Syr' i-an Asce7idency. During the first 
two reigns of the House of Je'hu, Syr'i-a rose to great power under 
Haz'a-el, and overran both Is'ra-el and Ju'dah. At one time Is'ra-el 
was in danger of utter destruction, but was preserved. Near the 
close of these periods the dying prophecy of E-li'sha was uttered 
(2 Kings 13. 14-25). 

4.) The Period of Is'ra-ei-ite Ascendency. Is'ra-el under Jer-o- 
bo'am II took its turn of power, and for a brief period was again 
dominant to the Eu-phra'tes, as in the days of Sol'o-mon. 

5.) The Period of As-syr'i-an Ascendency. But its glory soon 
faded away before that of As-syr'i-a, which was now rapidly becom- 
ing the empire of the East, Its rise meant the fall of Is'ra-el; and 
under the unfortunate Ho-she'a, Sa-ma'ri-a was taken, what was left 
of the ten tribes were carried captive, and the kingdom of Is'ra-el 
was extinguished (2 Kings 17. 1-6). 

IV. The Fate of the Ten Tribes. There has been much idle discus- 
sion over this subject and some absurd claims set up; for example, 
that the Anglo-Saxon race are descended from the ten lost tribes — a 
statement opposed to all history, to ethnology, and to every evidence 
of language. 

I. After their deposition nearly all the Is'ra-el-ites, having lost 



80 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

their national religion and having no bond of union, mingled with 
the Gen'tiles around them and lost their identity, just as hundreds of 
other races have done. The only bond which will keep a nation long 
alive is that of religion. 

2. Some remained in Pal'es-tine, others returned thither and 
formed the nacleus of the Sa-mar'i-tan people, a race of mingled 
origin (2 Kings 17. 24-29). 

3. Some of those who remained in the East retained their religion, 
or were revived in it, and later became a part of the Jews of the 
dispersion; though "the dispersion" was mainly Jewish, and not 
Is'ra-el-ite. 

4. A few families united with the Jews, returned with them to 
Pal'es-tine after the exile, yet retained their tribal relationship ; for 
example, An'na (Luke 2. 36). 

Blackboard Outline 



III. 


Kin 


. Isn 


I. Ext. 9,375. 


2. Cap. 


I.) Sh. 2 


.) Tir. 


3.) 


Sam. 




3. 


Rel. 


I.) Wor. cal. 


2.) Wor. Ba. 3.) 


Wor. 


Jeh. 






4. 


Rul. 


I.) Hou. Jei 


• 2.) 


Hou. Ba. 


3.) 


Hou. 


Om. 






4.) H 


DU. Je. 5.) Hou. Men. 












5. 


For. 


Rel. I.) Per. 


Div. 2 


.) Per. All. 3.) 


Per 


Syr. 






Asc. 


4.) Per. Isr. Asc. 5.) 


Per. Ass. 


Asc. 






IV. 


Fat 

4- 


. Ten. 

Jews 


Tri. I. Min 


Gen. 


2. Sam. 


Peo. 


3. 


Disp. 






















Review Questions 

How long did the new kingdom of Is'ra-el last? What was its extent? What 
were its three successive capitals? What three forms of religion were found in it? 
Who was the first king of the ten tribes? What family introduced foreign idolatry? 
How many kings ruled over the ten tribes? What were the five royal houses? 
Which house raised Is'ra-el almost to its ancient power? What is this period of 
prosperity called? Who was the greatest king of Is'ra-el? With what other 
history is that of Is'ra-el interwoven? What were the five periods in the foreign 
relations of Is'ra-el? By what kingdom was Is'ra-el destroyed? Who was its last 
king? What finally became of the ten tribes? 



THIRTEENTH STUDY 
The Kingdom of J«dah 

I. General Aspects of the Kingdom of Jis'dah* 

1. Its territory. It embraced the mountain portion of the tribe of 
Ju'dah, from the Dead Sea to the Phi-lis'tine plain; a part of Ben'- 
ja-min, in which tribe the larger part of Je-ru'sa-lem stood ; and also 
a part of Dan (Chron. ii, lo). Sim'e-on was nominally within its 
border, but was practically given up to the A-ra'bi-ans of the desert ; 
E'dom was tributary, though often in rebellion, and finally inde- 
pendent (i Kings 22. 47; 2 Kings 8. 20); Phi-lis'ti-a was outside of its 
boundary. Its extent was about 3,435 square miles, about half the 
area of Massachusetts. 

2. Its government was a monarchy, with but one family on the 
throne, the line of Da'vid, in direct succession, with the exception 
of Ath-a-li'ah's usurpation (2 Kings n. 1-3), through nineteen reigns. 

3. Its religion. Through all the history we find two forms of 
worship strongly opposed to each other, yet both rooted in the 
nation, i.) The worship of Je-ho'vah through the temple, the 
priesthood, and the prophets. 2. ) But side by side with this pure 
religion was the worship of idols upon "high places," probably 
begun as a form of worshiping Je-ho'vah, but degenerating into 
gross and immoral idolatry. There was a struggle going on con- 
stantly between these two elements in the state, the spiritual and 
the material. Notwithstanding the efforts of reforming kings like 
Je-hosh'a-phat, Hez-e-ki'ah, and Jo-si'ah, the general tendency was 
downward. 

II. The Duration of the Kingdom. The kingdom lasted from 
B. C. 934 to 587 — more than one hundred and thirty years longer 
than Is'ra-el. Reasons for its endurance may have been: 

1. Its retired situation: hemmed in by mountains and deserts; at 
a distance from the ordinary lines of travel; not in the direct path of 
conquest from any other nation. Ju'dah had few foreign wars as 
compared with Is'ra-el. 

2. The unity of its people. They were not ten tribes loosely con- 
nected, but one tribe, with a passionate love of their nation and a 
pride in their blood. 



82 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

3- Its concentration at Jc-ru'sa-Iem. Through all its history there 
was but one capital, where the palace of the king and the temple of 
the Lord were standing together. 

4- The reverence for the House of Da'vid also kept the people 
together. There was no change in dynasty, and the loyalty of the 
people grew stronger through the generations toward the family on 
the throne. There being no usurpers, the throne was permanent 
until destroyed by foreign power. 

5. The parity of its religion tended to keep the nation united and 
to keep it in existence. No bond of self-interest or of blood will 
hold a people together as strongly as the tie of religion. Ju'dah's 
strength was in the measure of her service of God, and when she 
renounced Je-ho'vah her doom came speedily. 

III. Periods in the History* Though Ju'dah was not without 
political contact with other nations, yet its history is the record of 
internal events rather than external relations. We may divide its 
history into four epochs ; 

1. The first decline and revival, i.) The reigns of Re-ho-bo'am 
and A-bi''jah marked a decline indicated by the E-gyp'tian invasion 
and the growth of idolatry. 2.) The reign of A'sa and Je-hosh'a- 
phat showed a revival in reformation, progress, and power. Under 
Je-hosh'a-phat, Ju'dah was at the height of prosperity. This was 
the time of peace with Is'ra-el and of strength at home and abroad 
(2 Chron. 17. 5; 20. 30). 

2. The second decline and revival, i.) For nearly two hundred 
years after the death of Je-hosh'a-phat the course of Ju'dah was 
downward. E'dom was lost under Je-ho'ram (2 Chron. 21. 8) ; the 
Ba'al-ite idolatry was introduced by the usurping queen, Ath-a-li'ah 
(2 Kings II. 18) ; the land was again and again invaded under Jo'ash 
and Am-a-zi'ah, and Je-ru'sa-lem itself was taken and plundered. 
2.) But a great reformation was wrought under Hez-e-ki'ah, who 
was the best and wisest of the kings of Ju'dah, and the kingdom 
again rose to power, even daring to throw off the As-syr'i-an yoke 
and defy the anger of the mightiest king then on the earth. At this 
time came the great event of the destruction, of the As-syr'i-an host 
(2 Kings 19. 35). 

3. The third decline and revival, i.) The reforms of Hez-e-ki'ah 
were short-lived, for his son Ma-nas'seh was both the longest in 
reigning and the wickedest of the kings, and his late repentance did 



The Kingdom of Judah 83 

not stay the tide of corruption which he had let loose (2 Kings 21. 
10-17; 2 Chron. 33. 1-18). The wickedness of Ma-nas'seh's reign 
was the great moral cause of the kingdom's destruction, for from it 
no reform afterward could lift the mass of the people. 2.) Jo-si'ah, 
the young reformer, attempted the task,* but his efforts, though 
earnest, were only measurably successful, and after his untimely 
death the kingdom hastened to its fall (2 Kings 23. 29). 

4. The final decline and fall, i.) The political cause of the destruc- 
tion of the kingdom was the rise of. Bab'y-lon. The old As-syr'i-an 
empire went down about B. C. 625, and a struggle followed between 
Bab'y-lon and E'gypt for the supremacy. Ju'dah took the side of 
E'gypt, which proved to be the losing side. 2.) After several chas- 
tisements and repeated rebellions Je-ru'sa-lem was finally destroyed 
by Neb-u-chad-nez'zar, king of Bab''y-lon, and the kingdom of 
Ju'dah was extinguished, B. C. 587. 

Blackboard Outline 



A 




I. 


Gen. Asp. Kin. Jad. i. Terr. Tri. Jud. 3,435™. 2. Gov. 




mon. 3. Rel. i.) Jeh. 2.) Idol. 


II. 


D«r. Kin. I. Ret. sit. 2. Un. peo. 3. Cone. Jer. 4. Rev. 




Ho. Dav. 5. Pur. rel. 


III. 


Per. Hist. I. Fir. dec. rev. i.) Dec. Reho. Abi. 2.) Rev. 




As. Jehosh. 




2. Sec. dec. rev. i.) Dec. 200 y. 2.) Rev. Hez. 




3. Thi. dec. rev. i.) Dec. Man. 2.) Rev. Jos. 




4. Fin. dec. f al. i.) Ris. Bab. 2.) Des. Jer. 


► '< 





Review Qttestions 

What was embraced in the kingdom of Ju'dah ? What was its area? How was it 
governed? What was its religion? What was associated with the worship of 
Je-ho'vah? What was the religious tendency of the people? How long did the 
kingdom of Ju'dah last? What were the causes of this duration? What were the 
periods in its history? Under what kings was the first decline? Who led in a 
revival and reformation? Who was the greatest of the kings of Ju'dah? What 
took place during the second decline? Who was the usurping queen? What did 
this queen try to do? Who wrought the second great reformation? What was the 
character of this king? What great destruction of Ju'dah's enemies took place 
at this time? Which reign was both longest, wickedest, and most evil in its results? 
Who attempted a third reformation? What was the result of his endeavor? What 
was the political cause of the fall of Ju'dah? By what nation and by what king 
was Je-ru'sa-lem finally destroyed? 



FOURTEENTH STUDY 
The Captivity of Jadah 

Part One 
I. We must distinguish between the Captivity of Is'ra-el and that 
of JuMah. 

1. The captivity of Is'ra-el took place B. C. 721, that of Ju'dah 
B. C. 587. The southern kingdom lasted one hundred and thirty- 
four years longer than the northern. 

2. Is'ra-el was taken captive by the As-syr'i-ans under Sar'gon ; 
Ju'dah by the Chal-de'ans under Neb-u-chad-nez'zar. 

3. Is'ra-el was taken to the lands south of the Cas'pi-an Sea 
(2 Kings 17. 6); Ju'dah to Chal-de'a, by the river Eu-phra'tes (Psa. 

137. i). 

4. Is'ra-el never returned from its captivity, which was the end 
of its history ; but Ju'dah was brought back from its captivity and 
again became a flourishing state, though subject to foreign nations 
during most of its after history. 

II. There were Three Captivities of Ju'dah, all in one generation 
and all under one Chal-de'an king, Neb-u-chad-nez'zar : 

1. Je-hoi'a-kim*s captivity, B. C. 607. Je-hoi'a-kim was the son 
of Jo-si'ah, placed upon the throne after the battle of Me-gid'do, 
in which Jo-si^ah perished (2 Kings 23. 34). For three years Je- 
hoi'a-kim obeyed Neb-u-chad-nez'zar; then he rebelled, but was 
speedily reduced to subjection, and many of the leading people 
among the Jews were carried captive to Bab'y-lon (2 Kings 24. i, 2). 
Among these captives was Dan'iel the prophet (Dan, i. 1-6). From 
this event the seventy years of the captivity were dated (Jer. 27, 22; 
29. 10), though the kingdom of Ju''dah remained for twenty years 
longer. 

2. Je-hoi'a-chin*s captivity, B. C. 598. Je-hoi'a-chin was the son 
of Je-hoi'a-kim (called Jec-o-ni'ah, i Chron. 3. 16; Jer. 24. i; and 
Co-ni''ah, Jer. 22. 24). He reigned only three months, and then was 
deposed by Neb-u-chad-nez'zar and carried to Bab'y-lon. With the 



The Captivity of Judah 85 

young king and the royal family were taken thousands of the peo- 
ple of the middle classes, whom the land could ill spare (2 Kings 
24. 8-16). Among these captives was E-ze'ki-el, the prophet-priest 
(Ezek. I. 1-13). 

3- Zed-e-ki'ah*s captivity, B. C. 587- He was the uncle of Je- 
hoi'a-chin and the son of the good Jo-si'ah (2 Kings 24. 17), and 
had been made king by Neb-u-chad-nez'zar. But he too rebelled 
against his master, to whom he had taken a solemn oath of fidelity 
(2 Chron. 36. 13). The Chal-de'ans were greatly incensed by these 
frequent insurrections, and determined upon a final destruction of 
the rebellious city. After a long siege Je-ru'sa-lem was taken, and 
the king was captured while attempting flight. He was blinded 
and carried away to Bab'y-lon, the city was destroyed, and nearly 
all the people left alive were also taken to the land of Chal-de'a 
(2 Kings 25. i-ii). After this captivity, the city lay desolate for 
fifty years, until the conquest of Bab'y-lon by Cyprus, B. C. 536. 

III. Let us ascertain the Caases of the Captivity — why the Jews 
were taken up bodily from their own land and deported to a distant 
country. 

1. Such deportations were a frequent policy of Oriental conquerors. 
The Orientals had three ways of dealing with a conquered people: 
that of extermination, or wholesale butchery, which is frequently 
described upon the As-syr'i-an monuments ; that of leaving them in 
the land under tribute, as subjects of the conqueror; and that of 
deporting them en masse to a distant land. Frequently, when the 
interests of the empire would be served by changing the population 
of a province, this plan was carried out. Thus the ten tribes were 
carried to a land near the Cas'pi-an Sea, and other people were 
brought to Sa-ma'ri-a in their place (2 Kings 17. 6, 24). A similar 
plan regarding Ju'dah was proposed by Sen-nach'e-rib (2 Kings 18. 
31, 32), but was thwarted by the destruction of the As-syr'i-an host. 

2. We have already noticed another cause of the captivity in the 
frequent rebellions of the kings of Ja'dah against the authority of 
Bab'y-lon. The old spirit of independence, which had made Ju'dah 
the leader of the twelve tribes, was still strong, and it was fostered 
by the hope of universal rule, which had been predicted through 
centuries, even while the kingdom was declining. The prophets, 
however, favored submission to Bab'y-lon; but the nobles urged 
rebellion and independence. Their policy was pursued, and the 



86 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

unequal strife was taken up more than once. The rebellions always 
failed; but after several attempts the patience of Neb-u-chad-nez'zar 
was exhausted, and the destruction of the rebellious city and the 
deportation of the population were ordered. 

3, But underneath was another and a deeper cause — in the rivalry 
of E'gypt and BabV-Ion. Pal'es-tine stood on the border of the 
As-syr''i-an empire toward E'gypt; and in Pares-tine there were 
two parties, the As-syr'i-an and the E-gyp'tian : one counseling sub- 
mission to As-syr'i-a, the other seeking alliance with E'gypt against 
As-syr'i-a (Isa. 31. 1-3; 37. 6). After Bab'y-lon took the place 
of Nin'e-veh the Chal-de'an party took the place of the As- 
syr'i-an, as the Chal-de'an empire was the successor of the 
As-syr'i-an empire. The prophets, led by Jer-e-mi^ah, always 
counseled submission to Bab'y-lon, and warned against trusting to 
E'gypt, which had never given anything more than promises; but 
the nobles were of the E-gyp'tian party, and constantly influenced 
the kings to renounce the yoke of Bab'y-lon and to strike for inde- 
pendence by the aid of E'gypt. The necessity of making the frontier 
of the Chal-de^an empire safe on the side toward E'gypt was the 
political cause for the deportation of the tribe of Ju'dah. 

4. There was underlying all these political reasons a moral cause 
in the divine purpose to discipline the nation. The captivity was a 
weeding-out process, to separate the precious from the vile, the 
false from the true, the "remnant" from the mass. There had 
always been two distinct elements in Is'ra-el and Ju'dah — the 
spiritual, God-fearing few, and the worldly, idol-worshiping many. 
The worldly and irreligious took part in the resistance to the king 
of Bab'y-lon, and the worshipers of Je-hoVah, led by the prophets, 
urged submission. As a result the nobles and the warriors, for the 
most part, perished; while the better part, the strength and 
hope of the nation, were carried away captive. Notice that the 
captives were mainly of the middle class, the working element 
(2 Kings 24. 14-16). Those who had submitted to the Chal-de'ans 
were also taken away (2 Kings 25. 11). The prophet expressed 
greater hope for those taken away than for those left behind (Jer. 
24. i-io). The captives were the root of Ju'dah, out of which in 
due time a new nation should rise; and, as we shall see, the cap- 
tivity in Bab'y-lon proved to be the most benign experience in all 
the history of God's chosen people. 



The Captivity of Judah 87 

Blackboard Oatlinc 



*b 


— . > 


I. 


Cap. Isr. Jad. i. Isr. 721. Jud. 587. 2. Ass. Sar, — Chal. 




Neb. 3. Cas. Sea.— Riv. Eup. 4. Nev. ret.— 




Bro. b. 


II. 


Thf. Cap. Jud. I. Jeh. cap. 607. 2. Jehn. cap. 598. 




3. Zed. cap. 587. 


III. 


Caus. Cap. I. Pol. Or. conq. 2. Reb. kgs. Jud. 3. Riv. 


► * 


Eg. Bab. 4. Div. pur. dis. 

— — ■ ► 



^1 



Review Qtjestions 

From what earlier captivity must that of Ju'dah be distinguished? What were 
the dates of these two captivities? By whom was each nation taken captive? 
Where was each nation carried captive? What followed the captivity in each 
nation? What were the three captivities of Ju'dah? What were the events of the 
first captivity of Ju'dah? Who were carried away at this time? What date is 
connected with this captivity? What were the events of the second captivity of 
Ju'dah ? Who were then taken away? What were the events of the third captivity? 
How long was Je-ru'sa-lem left in ruins? By whom and when were the Jews per- 
mitted to return from captivity? What causes may be assigned for the carrying 
away of the Jews? What were the customs of ancient Oriental conquerors? How 
did the conduct of the kings of Ju'dah bring on the captivity? What rivalry 
between nations was a cause of the captivity? What were the two parties in the 
kingdom of Ju'dah ? How was the carrying away of the Jews a political necessity? 
What was the moral cause of the captivity? 

Part Two 

IV. The Condition of the Captives in Chal-de a was far better than 
we are apt to suppose. 

I. They received kind treatment; were regarded not as slaves or 
prisoners, but as colonists. At a later captivity by the Rodmans the 
Jews were sold as slaves and dispersed throughout the empire. Such 
wholesale enslavement was common after a conquest. For some 
reason the Chal-de''ans did not enslave the Jews at the time of their 
conquest, but colonized them as free people. This may have been 
because the captives as a class were of the " Chal-de'an party" 
among the Jews, and hence were treated in a measure as friends. 
The letter of Jer-e-mi'ah to the exiles (Jer. 29. 1-7) shows that they 
were kindly dealt with in Chal-de'a. Some of them were received 
at the court and rose to high station in the realm (Dan. i. 1-6). 



88 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

2. Their organization was maintained. The exiles were not merged 
into the mass of the people where they were living, but retained 
their own system and were recognized as a separate colony. Their 
dethroned kings had a semi-royal state and at death an honorable 
burial (Jer. 52. 31-34; 34. 4, 5). The captives were governed by 
elders, rulers of their own nation (Ezek. 8. i ; 14. i ; 20. i). There 
was a "prince of Ju'dah" at the close of the captivity (Ezra i. 8). 
This fact of national organization was a fortunate one for the exiles. 
If they had been dispersed as slaves throughout the empire, or even 
had been scattered as individuals, they would soon have been 
merged among the Gen'tiles, and would have lost their identity as 
a people. But being maintained as a separate race, and in Jew'ish 
communities, the}^ were readily gathered for a return to their own 
land when the opportunity came. 

3- Their law and worship were observed. There were no sacrifices, 
for these could be offered only at Je-ru'sa-lem in the temple. But 
the people gathered for worship and for the study of the law far more 
faithfully than before the exile ; for adversity is a school of religious 
character far more than prosperity. The exile would naturally exert 
an influence in the direction of religion. While the irreligious and 
idolatrous among the captives would soon drop out of the nation 
and be lost among the Gen'tiles, the earnest, the spiritual, and the 
God-fearing would grow more intense in their devotion. 

4. They were instrtxctedby prophets and teachers. Jer-e-mi'ah lived 
for some time after the beginning of the captivity, made a visit to 
Bab'y-lon, and wrote at least one letter to the exiles (Jer. 13. 4-7; 
29- 1-3). Dan'iel lived during the captivity, and, though in the 
court, maintained a deep interest in his people, and comforted them 
by his prophecies, E-ze'ki-el was himself one of the captives, and 
all his teachings were addressed to them (Ezek. i. 1-3). Many 
evangelical and eminent Bible scholars are of the opinion that the 
latter part of I-sa'iah, from the fortieth chapter to the end, was 
given by a "later I-sa'iah" during the exile; but whether written 
at that time or earlier, it must have circulated among the captives 
and given them new hope and inspiration. The radical change in 
the character of the Jews which took place during this period 
shows that a great revival swept over the captive people and brought 
them back to the earnest religion of their noblest ancestors. 

5. Their literature was preserved and enlarged. Internal evidence 



The Captivity of Judah 89 

shows that the books of the Kings were finished and the books of 
the Chronicles written at this time or soon afterward ; tlie teachings 
of Dan'iel, E-ze'ki-el, Ha-bak'kuk, and other of the minor prophets 
were given ; and a number of the best psalms were composed dur- 
ing this epoch, as such poems are likely to be written in periods of 
trial and sorrow. Out of many psalms we cite Psa. 124, 126, 129, 
130. 137. 2.b manifestly written during the captivity. The exile was 
an age of life and vigor to Hc'brew literature. 

V. The Results of the Captivity. In the year B. C. 536 the city of 
Bab'y-lon was taken by Cyprus, king of the combined Medes and 
Per'sians. One of his first acts was to issue an edict permitting 
the exiled Jews to return to their own country and rebuild their 
city. Not all the Jews availed themselves of this privilege, for 
many were already rooted in their new homes, where they had 
been for two generations. But a large number returned (Ezra 2. 64), 
and reestablished the city and state of the Jews. The captivity, 
however, left its impress upon the people down to the end of their 
national history, and even to the present time. 

1. There was a change in language, from He'brew to Ar-a-ma'ic, or 
Chal-da'ic. The books of the Old Testament written after the res- 
toration are in a different dialect from the earlier writings. After 
the captivity the Jews needed an interpreter in order to understand 
their own earlier Scriptures. Allusion to this fact is given in Neh. 
8. 7. The Chal'dee of Bab'y-lon and the He'brew were sufficiently 
alike to cause the people during two generations to glide imper- 
ceptibly from one to the other, until the knowledge of their ancient 
tongue was lost to all except the scholars. 

2. There was a change in habits. Before the captivity the Jews 
were a secluded people, having scarcely any relation with the world. 
The captivity brought them into contact with other nations, and 
greatly modified their manner of living. Hitherto they had been 
mostly farmers, living on their own fields; now they became mer- 
chants and traders, and filled the world with their commerce. 
Rarely now do we find a Jew who cultivates the ground for his sup- 
port. They are in the cities, buying and selling. This tendency 
began with the Bab-y-lo'ni-an captivity, and has since been strength- 
ened by the varied experiences, especially by the persecutions, of 
the Jews during the centuries. 

3- There was a change in character. This was the most radical of 



90 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

all. Before the captivity the crying sin of Ju'dah, as well as of Is'- 
ra-el, was its tendency to idolatry. Every prophet had warned 
against it and rebuked it, reformers had risen up, kings had en- 
deavored to extirpate it; but all in vain — the worshipers of God were 
the few ; the worshipers of idols were the many. After the captiv- 
ity there was a wonderful transformation. From that time we 
never read of a Jew bowing his knee before an idol. The entire 
nation was a unit in the service of Je-hoVah. Among all the warn- 
ings of the later prophets, and the reforms of Ez'ra and Ne-he-mi'ah, 
there is no allusion to idolatry. That crime was utterly and forever 
eradicated ; from the captivity until to-day the Jews have been the 
people of the one, invisible God, and intense in their hatred of idols. 

4. There were new institutions as the result of the captivity. Two 
great institutions arose during the captivity : 

I.) The synagogue, which grew up among the exiles, was carried 
back to Pares-tine, and was established throughout the Jew'ish 
world. This was a meeting of Jews for worship, for reading the 
law, and for religious instruction. It had far greater influence than 
the temple after the captivity ; for while there was but one temple in 
all the Jew'ish world, there was a synagogue in every city and 
village where Jews lived ; and while the temple was the seat of a 
priestly and ritualistic service, the synagogue promoted freedom of 
religious thought and utterance. Out of the synagogue, far more 
than the temple, grew the Christian church. 

2.) The order of scribes ^2^% also a result of the captivity. The 
days of direct inspiration through prophets were passing away, and 
those of the written Scripture, with a class of men to study and inter- 
pret it, came in their place. During the captivity the devout Jews 
studied the books of their literature, the law, the psalms, the histo- 
ries, and the prophets. After the captivity arose a series of scholars 
who were the expounders of the Scriptures. Their founder was 
Ez'ra, at once a priest, a scribe, and a prophet (Ezra 7. i-io), who 
arranged the books and in a measure completed the canon of Old 
Testament Scripture. 

5- There was a new hope, that of a Mes-si'ah. From the time of 
the captivity the Jew'ish people looked forward with eager expec- 
tation to the coming of a Deliverer, the Consolation of Is'ra-el, 
the "Anointed One " (the word Mes-si'ah means " anointed"), who 
should lift up his people from the dust, exalt the throne of Da'vid, 



The Captivity of Judah 91 

and establish an empire over all the nations. This had been 
promised by prophets for centuries before the exile, but only then 
did it begin to shine as the great hope of the people. It grew brighter 
with each generation, and finally appeared in the coming of Je'sus 
Christ, the King of Is'ra-el. 

6. From the captivity there were two parts of the Jew'ish people: 
the Jews of Pal'es-tine, and the Jews of the dispersion, i.) The 
Jews of Pares-tine, sometimes called He'brews (Acts 6. i), were 
the lesser in number, who lived in their own land and maintained 
the Jewish state. 2.) The Jews of the dispersion were the descend- 
ants of those who did not return after the decree of Cy'rus (Ezta i. i), 
but remained in foreign lands and gradually formed Jew'ish 
"quarters" in all the cities of the ancient world. They were the 
larger in number, and later were called " Gre'cian Jews," or Hellen- 
ists, from the language which they used (Acts 6. i). Between these 
two bodies there was a close relation. The Jews of the dispersion had 
synagogues in every city (Acts 15. 6), were devoted to the law, made 
constant pilgrimages to Je-ru'sa-lem, and were recognized as having 
one hope with the Jews of Pal'es-tine. The traits of the two bodies 
were different, but each contributed its own elements toward the 
making of a great people. 

Blackboard Outline 















■ 








* 


IV. 


Con. 


Cap. I 


Kin 


. tre. 2 


. Org. main. 


3- 


La. wor. 


obs. 




4- 


Ins. pro. 


tea. 


5. Lit. 


pre. enl. 










V. 


Res 


Cap. I 


. Ch. 


Ian. 2. 


Ch. hab. 


3. 


Ch 


char. 4. 


Ne. 




ins. (syn. scr.) 


5. Hop. 


Mess. 6. 


Two. 


par. peo. 























M 



Review Qaestions 

How were the captive Jews treated? What evidences show that their national 
organization was continued during the captivity? Why was this fact a fortunate 
one for the exiles? What customs of the Jews were observed during the captivity? 
What instructors did the Jews have during this period? What was the condition 
of Jew'ish literature during the captivity? What events followed the decree of 
Cy'rus? Did all the exiles of the Jews return? What change in language was 
wrought by the captivity? What change in habits followed the captivity? What 
great change in religion came as the result of the captivity? How can that change 
be accounted for? What two institutions arose during the captivity? What new 
hope arose at this time? How were the Jews divided after the captivity? 



FIFTEENTH STUDY 
The Jewish Province 

Part One 

From' the return of the exiles, B. C. 536, to the final destruction of 
the Jew'ish state by the Ro'mans, A. D. 70, the history of the chosen 
people is closely interwoven with that of the East in general. Dur- 
ing most of this time Ju-de'a was a subject province, belonging to 
the great empires which rose and fell in succession. For a brief but 
brilliant period it was an independent state, with its own rulers. 
As most of this period comes between the Old and New Testaments 
its events are less familiar to Bible readers than the other portions 
of Is'ra-el-ite history. We therefore give more space than usual to 
the facts, selecting only the most important, and omitting all that 
have no direct relation with the development of the divine plan in 
the Jew'ish people. 

I. The history divides itself into Fo«r Periods, as follows: 

I. The Per'sian period, B. C. 536 to 330, from Cy'rus to Al-ex-an'- 
der, while the Jew'ish province was a part of the Per'sian empire. 
Very few events of these two centuries have been recorded, but it 
appears to have been a period of quiet prosperity and growth. The 
Jews were governed by their high priests under the general control of 
the Per'sian government. The principal events of this period were : 

I.) The secojid temple, B. C. 535-515. This was begun soon 
after the return from exile (Ezra 3. i, 2, 8), but was not completed 
until twenty-one years afterward (Ezra 6. 15, 16). It was smaller and 
less splendid than that of Sol'o-mon, but was built upon the same plan. 

2.) Ez'rd! s reforjuation, B. C. 450. The coming to Je-ru'sa-lem of 
Ez'ra the scribe was a great event in Is'ra-el-ite history ; for, aided by 
Ne-he-mi'ah, he led in a great reformation of the people. He found 
them neglecting their law and following foreign customs. He 
awakened an enthusiasm for the Mo-sa'ic law, aroused the patriot- 
ism of the people, and renewed the ancient faith. His work gave 
him the title of " the second founder of Is'ra-el." 

3.) The separation of the Sa-mar'i-tans, B. C. 409. (For the 



The Jewish Province 93 

origin of the Sa-mar'i-tans see 2 Kings 17. 22-34.) They were a 
mingled people, both in race and religion ; but until the captivity- 
were permitted to worship in the temple at Je-ru'sa-lem. After the 
return from Bab'y-lon the Sa-mar'i-tans and the Jews grew farther 
and farther apart. The Sa-mar'i-tans opposed the rebuilding of the 
temple (Ezra 4. 9-24), and delayed it for many years; and a century 
later strove to prevent Ne-he-mi'ah from building the wall of Je-ru'- 
sa-lem (Neh. 4. 2). Finally they established a rival temple on 
Mount Ger'i-zim, and thenceforth the two races were in bitter enmity 
(John 4. 9). 

4.) The completion of the Old Testament canon. The prophets 
after the restoration were Hag'ga-i, Zech-a-ri'ah, and Mara-chi ; but 
the author or editor of most of the latest books was Ez'ra, who also 
arranged the Old Testament nearly, perhaps fully, in its present 
form. Thenceforward no more books were added, and the scribe 
or interpreter took the place of the prophet. 

2. The Greek period, B. C. 330-166. In the year B. C. 330 
Al-ex-an'der the Great won the empire of Per'sia in the great battle 
of Ar-be'la, by which the sovereignty of the East was transferred 
from A'sia to Eu'rope, and a new chapter in the history of the world 
was opened. Al-ex-an'der died at the hour when his conquests were 
completed, and before they could be organized and assimilated; but 
the kingdoms into which his empire was divided were all under 
Greek kings, and were all Greek in language and civilization. Ju-de'a 
was on the border between Syr'i-a and E'gypt, and belonged alter- 
nately to each kingdom. We divide this period into three sub- 
divisions : 

I.) The reign of Al-ex-aji'der, B. C. 330-321. The Jews had 
been well treated by the Per'sian kings and remained faithful to 
Da-ri'us, the last king of Per'sia, in his useless struggle. Al-ex-an'- 
der marched against Je-ru'sa-lem, determined to visit upon it heavy 
punishment for its opposition, but (according to tradition) was met 
by Jad-du'a, the high priest, and turned from an enemy to a friend 
of the Jews. 

2.) The E-gyp'tia7i supremacy, B. C. 311-198. In the division 
of Al-ex-an'der's conquests Ju-de'a was annexed to Syr'i-a, but it 
soon fell into the hands of E'g>^pt, and was governed by the 
Ptol'e-mies (Greek kings of E'gypt) until B. C. 198. The only im- 
portant events of this period were the rule of Si'mon the Just, an 



94 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

exceptionally able high priest, about B. C. 300, and the translation 
of the Old Testament into the Greek language for the use of the 
Jews of Al-ex-an'dri-a, who had lost the use of He'brew or Chal'dee. 
This translation was made about B. C. 286, according to Jew'ish 
tradition, and is known as the Septuagint version. 

3.) The Syr'i-an supremacy, B. C. 198-166. About the year 
B. C. 198 Ju-de'a fell into the hands of the Syr'i-an kingdom, also 
ruled by a Greek dynasty, the Se-leu'ci-dae, or descendants of Se-leu'- 
cus. This change of rulers brought to the Jews a change of treat- 
ment. Hitherto they had been permitted to live undisturbed upon 
their mountains, and to enjoy a measure of liberty, both in civil and 
ecclesiastical matters. But now the Syr'i-an kings not only robbed 
them of their freedom, but also undertook to compel them to re- 
nounce their religion by one of the most cruel persecutions in all 
history. The temple was desecrated and left to ruin, and the wor- 
shipers of Je-ho'vah were tortured and slain, in the vain endeavor 
to introduce the Greek and Syr'i-an forms of idolatry among the 
Jews. Heb. 11. 33-40 is supposed to refer to this persecution. 
When An-ti'o-chus, the Syr'i-an king, found that the Jews could not 
be driven from their faith, he deliberately determined to exterminate 
the whole nation. Uncounted thousands of Jews were slaugh- 
tered, other thousands were sold as slaves, Je-ru'sa-lem was well- 
nigh destroyed, the temple was dedicated to Ju'pi-ter O-lym'pus, 
and the orgies of the Bacchanalia were substituted for the Feast 
of Tabernacles. The religion of Je-ho'vah and the race of the Jews 
seemed on the verge of utter annihilation in their own land. 

Blackboard Outline 



I. Fotir Per . i. Per. per. i.) Sec. tem. 2.) Ez. ref. 3.) Sep. 
Sam. 4.) Com. O. T. can. 
2. Gk. per. i.)Rei. Alex. 2.) Eg. sup. 3.) Syr. sup. 



Review Qaestions 

With what history is that of the Jews interwoven during this period? What 
was the political condition of the Jews at this time? What are the four periods 
of this history? Who were the rulers of the Jews during the first period? What 
building was erected after the return from captivity? What great deliverance was 



The Jewish Province 95 

effected by a woman? What great reforms were effected by a scribe? What title 
has been given to him? What were the events connected with the separation of 
the Sa-mar'i-tans? Who were the prophets of the restoration? By whom was the 
Old Testament canon arranged? What brought on the Greek period? What 
events of Jew'ish history were connected with Al-ex-an'der the Great? Under what 
people did the Jews fall afterward? What were the events of the E-gyp'tian rule? 
What is the Septuagint? How was its translation regarded by the Jews of Pales- 
tine? In what kingdom, after E'gypt, did Ju-de'a fall? How was it governed by 
its new masters? Who instituted a great persecution? 

Part Two 

3. The Mac-ca-be'an period, B. C. 166-40. But the darkest hour 
precedes the day ; the cruelties of the Syr'i-ans caused a new and 
splendid epoch to rise upon Is'ra-el. 

I.) The revolt of Mat-ta-thi'as. In the year B. C. 170 an aged 
priest, Mat-ta-thi'as, unfurled the banner of independence from the 
Syr'i-an yoke. He did not at first aim for political freedom, but 
religious liberty; but after winning a few victories over the Syr'i-an 
armies he began to dream of a free Jew'ish state. He died in the 
beginning of the war, but was succeeded by his greater son, Ju'das 
Mac-ca-be'us. 

2.) Ju'das Mac-ca-be'us gained a greater success than had been 
dreamed at the beginning of the revolt. Within four years the Jews 
recaptured Je-ru'sa-lem and reconsecrated the temple. The anni- 
versary of this event was ever after celebrated in the Feast of Ded- 
ication (John 10. 22). Ju'das ranks in history as one of the noblest 
of the Jew'ish heroes, and deserves a place beside Josh'u-a, Gid'e-on, 
and Sam'u-el as a liberator and reformer. 

3.) The Mac-ca-be'an dytiasty. Ju'das refused the title of king, 
but his family established a line of rulers who by degrees assumed 
a royal state, and finally the royal title. In the year B. C. 143 Jew'- 
ish liberty was formally recognized, and the Mac-ca-be'an princes 
ruled for a time over an independent state. Between B. C. 130 and 
no E'dom, Sa-ma'ri-a, and Gal'i-lee were added to Ju-de'a. The 
latter province had been known as "Gal'i-lee of the Gen'tiles" 
(Isa. 9. i) ; but by degrees the foreigners withdrew, and the province 
was occupied by Jews who were as devoted and loyal as those of 
Je-ru'sa-lem. 

4. ) The rise of the sects. About B. C. 100 the two sects, or schools 
of thought, the Phar'i-sees and Sad'du-cees, began to appear, though 
their principles had long been working. The Phar'i-sees ("sep- 



96 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

\ 

aratists") sought for absolute separation from the Gen'tile world 
and a strict construction of the law of Mouses, while the Sad'du-cees 
("moralists") were liberal in their theories and in their lives. 

4. The Ro'man period, B. C. 40 to A. D. 70. It is not easy to 
name a date for the beginning of the Rodman supremacy in Pales- 
tine. It began in B, C. 63, when Pom'pey the Great (afterward the 
antagonist of Ju'li-us Cse'sar) was asked to intervene between two 
claimants for the Jew^ish throne, Hyr-ca'nus and Ar-is-to-bulus. 
Pom^pey decided for Hyr-ca'nus, and aided him by a Ro'man army. 
In his interest he besieged and took Je-ru'sa-lem, and then placed 
Hyr-ca'uus in power, but without the title of king. From this time the 
Ro'mans were practically, though not nominally, in control of affairs. 

I.) Her'od the Great. We assign as the date of the Ro'man rule 
B. C. 40, when Her^od (son of An-tip'a-ter, an E'dom-ite, who had 
been the general of Hyr-ca^nus) received the title of king from the 
Ro'man Senate. From this time Pal'es-tine was regarded as a part 
of the Ro'man empire. Her'od was the ablest man of his age and 
one of the most unscrupulous. He ruled over all Pal'es-tine, I-du- 
me'a (ancient E'dom), and the lands south of Da-mas'cus. 

2.) Her'od' s temple. Her'od was thoroughly hated by the Jews, 
less fpr his character than for his foreign birth. To gain their favor 
he began rebuilding the temple upon a magnificent scale. It was 
not completed until long after his death, which took place at Jer'i- 
cho about the time when Je'sus Christ, the true King of the Jews, 
was born (Matt. 2. i, 2). 

3.) The tetrarchies. By Her'od's will his dominions were divided 
into four tetrarchies ("quarter-rulings," a title for a fourth part of 
a kingdom). Three of these were in Pal'es-tine: Ar-che-la'us receiv- 
ing Ju-de'a, I-du-me'a, and Sa-ma'ri-a; An'ti-pas (the Her'od of Luke 
3. i; 9. 7; 23. 7-11) receiving Gal'i-lee and Pe-re'a; and Phil'ip (Luke 
3. i) having the district of Ba'shan. About A. D. 6 Ar-che-la'us was 
deposed, and a Ro'man, Co-po'ni-us, was appointed the first procu- 
rator of Ju-de'a, which was made a part of the prefecture of Syr'i-a. 
The rest of Jew'ish annals belongs properly to the New Testament 
history. 

II. Through these periods we notice the gradual Preparation for 
the Gospel, which was steadily advancing. 

I. There was a political preparation. Six centuries before Christ 
the world around the Med-i-ter-ra'ne-an was divided into states, 



The Jewish Province 97 

whose normal condition was war. At no time was peace prevalent 
over all the world at once. If Christ had come at that time it would 
have been impossible to establish the gospel except through war 
and conquest. But kingdoms were absorbed into empires, empires 
rose and fell by turns, each with a larger conception of the nation 
than its predecessor. From the crude combination of undigested 
states in the As-syr'i-an empire to the orderly, assimilated, system- 
atic condition of the Ro'man world was a great advance. Christ 
appeared at the only point in the world's history when the great 
nations of the world were under one government, with a system of 
roads such that a traveler could pass from Mes-o-po-ta'mi-a to Spain 
and could sail the Med-i-ter-ra'ne-an Sea in perfect safety. 

2. There was a preparation of langaage* The conquests of Al-ex- 
an'der, though accomplished in ten years, left a deeper impress upon 
the world than any other two centuries of history. They gave to 
the whole of that world one language, the noblest tongue ever 
spoken by human lips, "a language fit for the gods," as men said. 
Through Al-ex-an''der, Greek cities were founded everywhere in 
the East, Greek kingdoms were established, the Greek literature 
and Greek civilization covered all the lands. That was the lan- 
guage in which Paul preached the gospel, and in which the New 
Testament was written — the only language of the ancient world in 
which the thoughts of the gospel could be readily expressed. While 
each land had its own tongue, the Greek tongue was common in all 
lands. 

3. While these preparations were going on there was another in 
progress at the same time, the preparation of a race. We might 
point to the history of the Is'ra-el-ites from the migration of A'bra- 
ham as a training; but we refer now to their special preparation for 
their mission after the restoration, B. C. 536. There was a divine 
purpose in the division of Ju'da-ism into two streams: one a little 
fountain in Pal'es-tine, the other a river dispersed over all the lands. 
Each branch had its part in the divine plan. One was to concen- 
trate its energies upon the divine religion, to study the sacred books, 
to maintain a chosen people, whose bigotry, narrowness, and intol- 
erance kept them from destruction ; the other branch was out in the 
world, where every Jew'ish synagogue in a heathen city kept alive 
the knowledge of God and disseminated that knowledge, drawing 
around it the thoughtful, spiritual minds who were looking for some- 



98 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

thing better than heathenism. Pal'es-tine gave the gospel, but the 
Jews of the dispersion carried it to the Gen'tiles, and in many places 
synagogues in the foreign world became the nucleus of a Christian 
church, where for the first time Jew and Gen'tile met as equals. 

4. Finally, there was the preparation of a religion. The gospel of 
Christ was not a new religion ; it was the new development of 'an 
old religion. As we study the Old Testament we see that each 
epoch stands upon a higher religious plane. There is an enlarge- 
ment of spiritual being between A'bra-ham and Mouses, between 
Mouses and Da'vid, between DaVid and I-sa'iah, between I-sa'iah 
and John the Bap'tist. Phar'i-see and Sad'du-cee each held a share 
of the truth which embraced the best thoughts of both sects. The 
work of many scribes prepared the way for the coming of the Lord, 
and just when revelation was brought up to the highest level, when 
a race was trained to apprehend and proclaim it, when a language 
had been created and diffused to express it, when the world was 
united in one great brotherhood of states, ready to receive it — then, 
in the fullness of times, the Christ was manifested, who is over all, 
God blessed forever. 

Blackboard Outline 



^ 












* * 


I. 


Four Per. (Cont.) 3. Mace. 


per. 


I.) Rev. 


Mat 


. 2.)Jud. 




Mace. 3.) 


Mace. dyn. 


4.) 


Ri. sec. 








4. Rom. per. 


I.) Her. Gr 


. 2. 


) Her. tem. 


3.) 


Tetr. 


II. 


Prep. Gosp. i. 

4. Prep, rel 


Pol. prep. 


2. 


Prep. Ian. 


3- 


Prep. rac. 


► i 















Review Questions 

What was the eflfect of the Syr'i-an persecution? Who led the Jews in revolt? 
What great hero arose at this time? What line of rulers came from his family? 
What was the growth of the Jew'ish state at that time ? What sects of the Jews 
arose? How did Ju-de'a fall tmder the Ro'man power? Whom did the Ro'mans 
establish as king? What were his dominions? What building did he erect? 
How was his kingdom divided after his death? What finally became of Ju-de'a? 
Name five ways in which there was a preparation for the gospel during this 
period. What was the political preparation? How was a language prepared for 
preaching the gospel to the world? What race was prepared, and how? What part 
had each of the two divisions of the Jew'ish race in the divine plan? What was 
the preparation of a religion for the world? 



I 

' SIXTEENTH STUDY 
The Old Testament as Literature' 

Part One 

I. Importance* In order rightly to understand the Bible we must 
not only study it as a book of history, as a book of morals or ethics, 
as a book of doctrine, and as a book of devotion; we must also 
examine it as literature, and ascertain the different types of forms 
of literature shown in its pages. The literary study of the Bible is 
often of the highest importance. For example, the incident narrated 
in Josh, lo. 12-14, printed as prose in most of our Bibles, is shown 
as poetry in the Revised Version ; and we all know that poetry is to 
be interpreted upon principles different from prose, 

II. Difficaltics. In the study of the Bible as literature two diffi- 
culties arise and must be overcome: 

1, The division into chapters a?id verses, and the printing of the 
Bible throughout in the form of prose, forms an obstacle to the stu- 
dent of the Bible as literature. Suppose that every history of Eng- 
land, the poetry of Milton, the dramas of Shakespeare, and the 
romances of Scott were printed in the form of our Bibles — broken 
up into short paragraphs — what a hindrance that would prove to the 
understanding and the enjoyment of these works ! Except in the 
Revised Version of England and America, that is the condition in 
which we read our Bibles. Only in the Revised Version can the 
Bible be read as literature. 

2. Another obstacle is in the fact that in the Bible all the different 
forms of literature are mingled together. The prose has poetry 
here and there; history, personal narrative, drama, and lyric are 
all united in the same writings. We have Scott's prose and his po- 
etry separate, Matthew Arnold's poems and his essays in separate 

1 Nearly all the material in this lesson is drawn in an abbreviated form from The 
Literary Study of the Bible, by Richard G. Moulton (Boston- D. C. Heath & Co.). 
a masterpiece on this subject, strongly recommended to the student. I have, how- 
ever, ventured to vary from Dr. Moulton's classification on some minor points, — 
J. L. H. 



Loi 



c. 



100 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

volumes; but in the- Old Testament all these forms of literature 
are found together, and generally more than one form in the same 
book. There are few books in the Old Testament that are either all 
prose or all poetry. , 

III. Qassification. We may arrange the different kinds of litera- 
ture found in the Old Testament under six classes, as follows: 

1. The larger portion of the Old Testament belongs to the depart- 
ment of History. In its books we trace the early history of the 
world and the history through two thousand years of the Is'ra-el-ite 
people. This history may be classified as : 

I.) Primitive history, in the book of Gen'e-sis. 

2.) Constitutional history, or the record of laws and institutions, 
in Ex'o-dus, Le-vit'i-cus, Num'bers. 

3.) National history, or historical events, in Josh'u-a, Judg'es, 
Sam'u-el, Kings, and Ez'ra. Although in some of these books are 
many narratives more biographical than historical, yet nearly all 
these stories have a bearing upon the national history, 

4.) Ecclesiastical history, in the books of Chron'i-cles, which tell 
the story of the kingdom of Ju'dah from a priestly point of view, 

2. Next to the history comes Personal Narrative as a literary 
form in the Bible; such stories as those of Jo'seph, Ba'laam, Ruth, 
DaVid, E-li'jah, E-li'sha, Jo'nah, and Es''ther; not historical, as the 
story of the nations, but personal, as the record of individuals. 
These narratives belong to the class called by scholars "prose 
epics," an epic being a work of narration, generally in poetry, as 
the epics of Homer, Dante, and Milton. The epics in the Bible are 
poetic in their thought, but prose in their form. 

Blackboard Otitlinc 



►r 


— . —^ 


I. 


Imp* The Bible as Hist. Eth, Doc, Dev. Lit. [Illust.] 


II. 


Diff. I. Div. chap. ver. 2. Lit. ming. 


III. 


Qass* I. Hist, i.) Prim. 2.) Const. 3.) Nat. 4.) Eccl. 




2. Per. narr. J. B. R. D. E. E. J. E. 


>:^ 


— — 4< 



Review Qaestions 

With what various purposes may the Bible be studied? What is meant by the 
study of the Bible as literature? Give an instance showing that this study is im- 
portant for the right interpretation of the Bible. How does the form in which our 



The Old Testament as Literature 101 

Bibles are printed hinder in the study of it as literature? What other difficulty is 
met in the literary study of the Bible? How many classes of literature are found 
in the Bible? What is the department of literature most prominent in the Bible? 
Name four kinds of history in the Bible, define each kind, and give an example of 
it. To what class of literature do the stories of the Bible belong? What are the 
subjects of some of these stories? What is an epic? Name some great epics in 
literature? Wherein do these differ from the epics in the Bible? 

Part Two 

Review I, II, and parts i and 2 of III. 

3. Far more of the Old Testament belongs to the department of 
Poetry than appears in the Authorized Version, the Bible in common 
use. The He''brew mind was poetic rather than prosaic, and the 
thought of this people naturally fell into the form of poetry. But 
there is a great difference between our poetry or verse and that of 
the He'brews, With us there is apt to be rhyme, never sought by 
the Bible poet; or else a certain measure in length of line or 
emphasis on certain vowel sounds, the "feet" or "meter," in the 
verse, equally unknown in the Bible. He'brew verse consists in 
a peculiar symmetry and balance of clauses, which is called "paral- 
lelism," for instance: 

" He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: 
He that keepeth thee will not slumber. 
Behold, he that keepeth Is'ra-el 
Shall neither slumber nor sleep" (Psa. 121. 3, 4). 

Poetry is to be found in nearly all parts of the Old Testament. 
There are: 

I.) Odes, as the song of Mir'i-am (Exod. 15), of Deb'o-rah (Judg. 5), 
and the book of Lam-en-ta'tions. In the latter book there is an 
acrostical arrangement, each stanza beginning in the original text 
with a letter of the He'brew alphabet, and arranged in their 
order. 

2.) Lyric poems, songs of emotion or feeling, as most of the 
Psalms. 

3. ) Dramatic poems, illustrative of action, as Job and the Song 
of SoFo-mon. 

4. Oratory figures extensively in the Old Testament, as we should 
expect to find in the literature of any Oriental people, among whom 
the public speaker exercises a mighty influence. The orations or 



102 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

discourses of the Bible are sometimes in prose, sometimes in poetry, 
sometimes in both forms of expression. The speeches in the book 
of Job, Sol'o-mon's dedicatory prayer (2 Chron. 6), almost the entire 
book of Deu-ter-on'o-my, the opening chapters of Prov'erbs, and 
many of the discourses of the prophets belong to this department. 
Note how readily the passage in Deut, 8. 7-9 falls into verse: 

" For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, 
A land of brooks of water, 
Of fountains and depths, 
Springing forth in valleys and hills ; 
A land of wheat and barley, 
And vines and fig trees and pomegranates ; 
A land of oil olives and honey," etc. (Rev. Ver.) 

5. Philosophy, or "wisdom-literature," is also found in the Old 
Testament. The book of Prov'erbs is a collection of the ' ' sayings 
of the sages" among the Is'ra-el-ites ; while Ec-cle-si-as'tes is a 
series of connected essays on human life. 

6. Prophecy is a distinct form of literature in the Bible. The word 
"prophecy" in the Scriptures means not "foretelling," or "predic- 
tion," but "yi?rMtelling," speaking under a divine power, whether 
of past, present, or future. It is not to be forgotten that the books 
of Josh'u-a, Judg'es, Sam'u-el, and Kings were called by the JewS 
* ' the former prophets, " and were all regarded as prophetic, although 
they contained history. The prophets used freely either the prose 
form or verse form in their messages. Their writings may be 
classified under : 

I.) Prophetic Discourse, the message of the Lord concerning 
nations, often called "the burden," the counterpart of the modern 
sermon, as in Isa. i. 1-31; Ezek. 34. 

2.) Lyric prophecy, in the form of song, as in Zeph-a-ni'ah, Isa. 
9. 8 to 10. 4, and many other instances. 

3. ) Symbolic prophecy, or the use of emblems, as Jer-e-mi'ah's girdle 
(Jer. 13), the potter's wheel (Jer. 18), or E-ze'ki-el's tile (Ezek. 4). 

4.) The prophecy of Vision, of which instances are: I-sa'iah's call 
(Isa. 6); Jer-e-mi'ah's vision (Jer. i. 11-16) ; E-ze'ki-el's vision of the 
cherubim (Ezek. i) ; "the valley of dry bones" (Ezek. 37); and 
Zech-a-ri'ah's vision of the candlestick (Zech. 4). 

5.) The prophecy of Parable, as "the vineyard" (Isa. 5), also in 
Ezek. 15; "the eagle" (Ezek. 17). There are many parables in the 



The Old Testament as Literature 103 

Old Testament, but the master in this form of teaching was the 
Prophet of Gal'i-lee in the gospels. 

6.) The prophecy of Dialogue^ either between the prophet and 
Je-hoVah or more frequently between the prophet and the people, 
as in the book of Mal'a-chi. 

7.) Dramatic prophecy, in which Je-ho'vah himself is repre- 
sented as speaking, generally introduced by the words "Thus saith 
Je-ho'vah." 

A close analysis will perhaps show other forms of prophetic teach- 
ing, as "The Doom Song" and "The Prophetic Rhapsody"; but in 
our judgment these also may be included in the classification given 
above. (See footnote with the opening of this lesson.) 





Blackboard Outline 


I. 


Imp. The Bible as Hist. Eth. Doc. Dev. Lit. [Illust.] 


11. 


Diff. I. Div. chap. ver. 2. Lit. ming. 


III. 


Qass. I. Hist, i.) Prim. 2.) Const. 3.) Nat. 4.) Eccl. 




2. Per. Narr. J. B. R. D. E. E. J. E. 




3. Poet. Heb. ver. i.) Od. 2.) Lyr. 3.) Dram. 




4. Orat. Sol. Deut. Prov. Proph. 




5. Phil. "Wis. -Lit." Prov. Eccl. 




6. Proph. "Forthtell." " For. proph." i.) Pro. Disc. 




2.) Lyr. pro. 3.) Sym. pro. 4.) Pro. Vis. 5.) Pro. 




Par. 6.) Pro. Dia. 7.) Dram. pro. 


i \ 


M 



Review Questions 

Review the questions with Part One of this lesson. What are the first and second 
classes of literature in the Bible? What is the third class? Wherein does He'brew 
poetry differ from Eng'lish verse? What three kinds of poetry are found in the Old 
Testament? Give examples under each kind. What is the fourth class of litera- 
ture in the Bible? Name some instances under this class. Are the discourses of 
the Bible in prose or in poetry? What is the fifth class of biblical literature? By 
what other name is this class known? Give two examples of this class, and state 
the differences between them. What is the sixth literary department in the Bible? 
What is the meaning of the word "prophecy"? In what form, prose or poetry, 
did the prophets speak? What are the seven kinds of prophecy found in the Bibl^? 
Define each kind. Give illustrations of each class, 



SEVENTEENTH STUDY 
How We Got Ottf Bible 

Part One 

I. Name. Here is a volume which we call "The Holy Bible." 
The word "bible" means "books " — biblia, plural of Greek bib lion, 
"book." So the Bible is "The Sacred Book," and by its very name 
calls attention to the fact that it is not one book, but many: 39 books 
m the Old Testament, 27 in the New — 66 books in' the Bible. Its 
composite nature is not less important for us to keep in mind than 
its unity. Especially is this true of the Old Testament, of which we 
speak mainly in this lesson. 

II. Origin. How came these books into being ? This is a question 
of the "higher criticism" — that is, the study of subjects back of and 
above those belonging to the meaning of the text ; not higher because 
more important, but higher because pertaining to an earlier period. 
Certain conclusions, however, may be accepted. 

1. Much of the contents of the Bible, especially of the Old Testa- 
ment, was given orally, through stories, songs, and poems recited, 
through prophetic discourses, and through traditions handed down 
from generation to generation — a method of instruction universal 
before books were printed. 

2. These oral teachings were written, some at the time when they 
were given, others later, sometimes after generations of oral repe- 
tition. The writing of different portions of the Bible was carried on 
at various times, in various places, and by various writers ; perhaps 
through 1,600 years, and by more than 40 writers, most of whom 
have remained unknown. In the writing and rewriting He'brew 
scholars of Old Testament times did not hesitate to modify the 
older works as they saw reasons for so doing. We respect the 
" works of authors," and would not alter the language of Chaucer 
or Milton or Macaulay ; but He'brew prophets and scribes in early 
times cared more for the contents than for the authorship of their 
sacred books. 

3. As long as there were prophets in Is'ra-el and Ju'dah to declare 
the will of the Lord the need of a written and authoritative Scrip- 
ture was scarcely recognized. But prophecy ceased about B. C. 450, 



How We Got Our Bible 105 

and then began the work of the great scribes, of whom Ez'ra 
was the chief, in bringing together, editing, and copying the sa- 
cred books. Perhaps about B. C. 400 the Old Testament was prac- 
tically complete. But it is evident that the precise text was not 
fixed for centuries' afterward, as the earliest translation (the Septua- 
gint ; see below) shows that a text was followed different from that 
now read. The text of the He'brew Bible was not finally adopted 
until later than A. D 200. 

III. Language, i. Nearly all the Old Testament was written in 
He''brew, the language of the Is'ra-el-ites, called by the As-syr'i- 
ans on their monuments "the tongue of the west country," in 
the Bible "the lip of Ca'naan" (Isa. 19. 18) or "the Jews' lan- 
guage" (2 Kings 18. 26). 

2. Certain parts of Dan'iel and Ez'ra and one verse of Jer-e-mi'ah 
(Jer. 10. 11) were written in Ar-a-ma'ic (2 Kings 18. 26, " Syr'i-an 
language"), often, though inaccurately, called Chal'dee. 

IV. Form. i. The books of the Old Testament were written 
upon parchment, the prepared skins of animals. The letters were 
large, and a manuscript roll embraced generally only one book ; and 
several rolls were needed for the longer books. 

2. Their use was almost entirely liinited to the synagogue, and 
few copies were ever owned by private persons. After touching 
the roll of an inspired book one must wash his hands in running 
water before touching anything else. 

3. When the synagogue rolls were well worn they were cut up 
into smaller pieces for use in the schools, where the Bible was the 
only text-book. When worn out they were burned or buried. The 
Jews did not preserve ancient writings, which is one reason why all 
the manuscripts of the Bible are of comparatively modern date. 

Blackboard Otitlmc 

I. Name. "H. B." Biblia. 39.27.66. 
II. Grig. " Hi. Crit." i. Or a. St. so. po. pro. trad. 

2. Writ. 1,600 y. 40 wri. " Works of authors." 

3. Work of scr. B. C. 400. Text not uniform. 

III. Lang. I. Heb. 2. Aram. 

IV. Form. i. W^rit. parch. 2. Use in syn. 3. Use in sch. 

►i*— — — —- 



106 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 
Review Qtfestions 

What is the origin and meaning of the word "Bible"? What does this word 
suggest as to the books of the Bible? How many books does the Bible contain? 
What is meant by "the higher criticism"? How was much of the Bible given? 
How and when were the books written? How long was the writing in progress? 
Did the writers of the Bible change the documents as they wrote them? How 
long was there little need of a written revelation? When were the writings of the 
Old Testament brought together? Name the leader in this work. At what time 
was the Old Testament completed? Was the precise text of the Bible fixed at that 
time? What evidence is there of more than one accepted text? In what language 
was most of the Old Testament written? What other language was also used? 
What parts of the Old Testament were in this other language? In what form were 
the books of the Old Testament preserved? What was their principal use? What 
hindered the private ownership of the books? What use was made of the old rolls 
of the Scriptures? How were they finally disposed of? 

Part Two 

V. Early Versions. The captivity of the Jews in Bab-y-lo'ni-a led 
to a change in their spoken language, so that they could no longer 
understand the ancient Hebrew of the Bible, and translations, or 
"versions," became necessary. Note that in Ez'ra's Bible class 
(Neh. 8. 7) translators were employed, and their names are given. 

1. The Targums. These translations from the Hebrew to the 
vernacular, or common speech, of the Jews were called Targums. 
Men were trained to give them, as the sacred text was read, sentence 
by sentence, in the synagogue. This translator was called a 
••meturgeman." For centuries these translations, or Targums, re- 
mained unwritten, were handed down orally, and were jealously 
guarded. Not until after A. D. 200 was the writing of the Targums 
authorized by Jewish custom. 

2. The Septuaguit. The conquests of Al-ex-an'der, B. C. 330, 
made the Greek language dominant in all the lands of the east, and 
the Jews dispersed among these countries needed their writings in 
the Greek tongue, which was used almost everywhere in the syna- 
gogues outside of Ju-de'a. To meet this need the Septuagint ver- 
sion arose in Al-ex-an'dri-a, beginning about B. C. 285. The name 
Septuagint, meaning "seventy," arose from a legend that the 
version was made by seventy men, each in a separate room, trans- 
lating all the books; and the result showed the rendering alike, 
word for word ! The Septuagint became the current Bible of the 
Jews in all lands except, perhaps, Pal'es-tine, 



How We Got Our Bible 107 

3. The Vulgate. After Rome became the world's capital, and 
the Latin language came into general use, especially west of Al-ex- 
an'dri-a, in the Christian churches came a demand for the Bible in 
Latin. Many versions of certain books were made, but the one that 
at last superseded dll the earlier translations was that prepared by 
Jerome, about A. D. 400. This was called "the Vulgate," from the 
Latin vulgus, "the common people," This was the Bible in gen- 
eral use until the Reformation. But as the Latin language in its turn 
ceased to be spoken the Bible was lost to the common people through- 
out Europe, and was known only to scholars, mostly in the monasteries. 

VI. Modern Versions. Of these multitudes have been made ; but 
we will notice only a few of the most important in the line of suc- 
cession leading to our English Bible. 

1. Wyclif s Bible. John Wyclif was '*The Morning Star of the 
Reformation," preaching in England one hundred and fifty years 
before Luther in Germany. Finding the Latin Bible inaccessible 
to the common people, he prepared a version in the English of his 
time, aided by other scholars. The New Testament was first trans- 
lated, beginning with the book of Revelation, in 1357, and nearly 
all the Old Testament was translated by 1382, two years before 
Wyclif died. This translation was made from the Vulgate, not from 
the original Hebrew and Greek. As printing had not yet been 
invented it was circulated in manuscript only, yet was read widely. 

2. Tyndale' s Bible. After the invention of printing and the 
great Reformation there was an awakened interest in the Bible. 
William Tyndale, a scholar in Hebrew and Greek, gave his life to 
the translation of the Scriptures, was exiled, and was martyred in 
1536 on account of it. His New Testament in 1525 was the first 
printed in English, and it was followed by the Pentateuch in 1530. 
No one man ever made a better translation than Tyndale, which has 
been followed in many renderings by nearly all the later versions. 

3. The Great Bible. Omitting the versions of Coverdale, Mat- 
thew, and Taverner, we come to the first authorized version, made 
under the direction of the English prime minister, Thomas Crom- 
well, edited by Miles Coverdale, and published in 1539. It received 
its name from its size, and from the fact that a copy of it was re- 
quired to be placed in every church in England. 

4. The Geneva Bible was translated by a company of English 
exiles in Switzerland, and appeared in 1560. It was more con- 



108 Outline Studies in the Old Testament 

venient in form than the earlier editions, was divided into verses, 
and printed in Roman letters — traits which made it popular, espe- 
cially among the nonconformists in England. 

5. The Bishops' Bible was prepared under the direction of Mat- 
thew Parker, archbishop under Queen Elizabeth, by eight bishops 
of the Church of England, and appeared in 1572. It had a limited 
circulation, because it was really not quite as good as the Geneva 
Bible; but it was the official version in England from 1572 to 1611. 

6. The Douai Bible. All the above-named versions, and many 
others, were the work of Protestants. The Roman Catholics of 
England found a version of their own a necessity ; and, as they were 
not allowed to prepare and publish one in England, the task was 
undertaken by exiled Roman Catholics on the Continent. The New 
Testament was published at Rheims, in France, in 1582; the Old 
Testament at Douai, in Belgium, in 16 10. This translation was 
made from the Latin Bible of Jerome, and its marginal notes set 
forth the Roman Catholic views. It is still the English Bible of 
the Roman Catholic Church. 

7. The King James Version. In the reign of James I of England 
many versions were in circulation, and for the sake of uniformity a 
new translation was ordered by the king. This was made by forty- 
seven scholars, occupying about three years, and was issued in 161 1. 
It became by degrees the standard English Bible, "The Autho- 
rized Version," as it is called. It is the Bible which is still circu- 
lated by the million every year, the Bible familiar to every reader. 

8. The Revised Version, The advance in scholarship, the in- 
creasing knowledge of the ancient world, and the discovery of old 
manuscripts unknown to earlier translators, caused a demand, 
not for a new Bible, but for a revision of the text and of the transla- 
tion in common use. The Church of England led in the movement, 
but invited the cooperation of scholars in every denomination of 
Great Britain and America. In 1881 the New Testament appeared, 
and in 1885 the entire Bible. Students everywhere recognized the 
Revised Version as a great improvement upon the Authorized Ver- 
sion, but it comes very slowly into use by the people. 

9. The American Revised Version. In the preparation of the 
Revised Version of 1885 the American scholars proposed more radi- 
cal changes than the English revisers would admit. It was arranged 
that the Americans should have their list of proposed changes 



How We Got Our Bible 109 

published at the end of the version, but they should not publish 
any Bible containing them in the text until 1900. The American 
revisers continued their organization, and, aided by experience, 
made a new revision throughout, which was published both in Eng- 
land and America 'as " The American Revised Version," in 1901. 
This work is by most students regarded as, upon the whole, better 
than the Revised Version of 1885 and the best translation of the 
Bible that has yet appeared. 



Blackboard Outline 



*- 



I. Name. "H. B." Biblia. 39.27.66. 
11. Orig. "Hi. Crit." i. Ora. St. so. po. pro. trad. 

2. Writ. 1,600 y. 4owri. " Works of authors. " 

3. Work of scr. B. C. 400. Text not uniform. 

III. Lang. I. Heb. 2. Aram. 

IV. Form. I. Writ, parch. 2. Use in syn. 3. Use in sch. 
V. Ear. Ver. i. Tar. 2. Sept. 3. Vul. 

VI. Mod. Vcr. I. Wye. 1382. 2. Tyn. 1525, 1530. 3. Gr. Bib. 
1539. 4. Gen. Bib. 1560. 5. Bish. Bib. 1572. 6. Dou. 
Bib. 1582, 1610. 7. K. Jam. Ver.. 1611. 8. Rev. Ver. 
1881, 1885. -•9. Am. Rev. Ver. 1901. 



Review Questions 

Review and answer again the questions on Sections I, II, III, IV of this lesson. 
What is meant by "versions"? How did versions of the Old Testament become 
necessary to the Jews? What were these versions called, and how did they arise? 
How were they preserved? What called forth the Septuagint Version? In what 
language was it? When was it prepared? What was the Jewish legend concerning 
it? How did the Vulgate arise? Who made it? Why did it receive that name? 
What did the Vulgate become? Repeat the names of the three most important 
early versions. Name the nine most important modern versions. Who was Wyclif ? 
When did he live? When did his translation of the Bible appear? How was it 
circulated? What two events in modern times increased the desire for the Bible in 
the language of the people? What is said of Tyndale's version? What was the 
Great Bible? Who directed its preparation? Who edited it? When was it pub- 
lished? What was the Geneva Bible? Wherein did it differ from earlier Bibles? 
Give the facts concerning the Bishops' Bible — originator, translators, date, char- 
acteristics. What was the history of the Douai Bible? Where is that Bible used? 
Tell the facts about the Authorized Version. How did the Revised Version arise? 
How was it prepared? What new version has recently appeared, and how is it 
regarded? 



OCT 18 1905 



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